Historic Westside businesses have new resource with UNLV program

Business owner Myles Bunch grew up in Las Vegas’ Historic Westside, and his family used to operate the now-closed restaurant and lounge Chez Place.

With his wife Valencia Lawerence he now owns his own food business called the Edible Bunch. A mobile restaurant that uses plant-based ingredients, it is set up at farmers markets across the Las Vegas Valley. However, he stated that the Historic Westside business environment is lacking in support services for small-business owners.

“It just doesn’t seem like we get the same opportunity funding-wise, as from other sides of town,” Bunch said, whose goal is to open a brick-and-mortar location.

Thanks to a federal grant of $2.1 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, this could change.

UNLV manages the grant. The grant will be used for the UNLV Tourism Business Igniter.

Officials unveiled the new 850-square foot space last week at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the Nevada Partners campus, 690 W. Lake Mead Boulevard. Bernhard said that the grant will last for at least two years and will be available in the early part of next year.

Ela Garcia is Nevada Partners’ project manager. She said that Nevada Partners and the university worked together on grant writing for the past one year. She said the new federal funds will cover some “wraparound services” such as child care and transportation costs, which can be a limiting factor for people starting a business.

“These resources that we normally wouldn’t have are going to be more accessible to them,” Garcia said.

According to Garcia, participants of UNLV Tourism Business Igniter can also access services offered by Nevada Partners, such as its workshop, computer lab and meeting rooms.

Bernhard noted the igniter will serve as a “convening space,” for small businesses. It will offer classes in entrepreneurship, legal and marketing services, as well mentorship from local small businesses.

‘A different place’

Bunch said the new igniter program could be “huge” for nearby businesses because of their proximity to the Strip and downtown Las Vegas.

“There’s a lot of businesses that try and thrive (on the Historic Westside),” he said. “We’re right next to downtown and it’s like a total difference when you’re coming from downtown and you cross the overpass, and it’s like you’re in a different place.”

Bunch claimed that he took part in a similar program for business development called Promise Startups by Nevada Partners, which helped him scale The Edible Bunch.

“It showed me that I was on the right track,” he said. “And then it gave me some pieces that I was missing and was giving us different ideas on the possibilities of scaling your business.”

Bunch began to develop the brand in 2019 with his wife, and finally launched the company in January.

Clark County Commissioner William McCurdy II claimed that the Historic Westside had been neglected in past. He believes federal funding will help to improve the environment and support small businesses.

“It’s only the Historic Westside because it’s west of the railroad tracks, and historically, it was the only place where African Americans could be,” McCurdy said. “At one point in time, it had multiple hotels and was home to the Moulin Rouge, which was the first integrated hotel-casino in all of Las Vegas. So, it begins with starting to tell and share the story of the Westside.”

This area was often overlooked but services like UNLV Tourism Business Igniter are helping to make it a more attractive place. The Las Vegas City Council approved a deal with Sam Cherry last month that allows for a 5-story, 84-unit rental building with 10,000 square feet commercial space.

Cherry, Cherry Development’s CEO, stated to the Review-Journal that he sees Cherry Development opening food and beverage outlets, and possibly a program for business incubators in the $22million project located near Washington Avenue and Interstate 15.

Recovery mode

McCurdy said the state secured the $2.1 million grant to help the city’s tourism industry, which was decimated during pandemic.

According to a news release, $3.9 million was received by Southern Nevada. $2.1 million was reserved for the incendior program. $1.8 million was sent to Las Vegas to assist with pre-vocational training in hospitality and culinary arts.

“The Southern Nevada economy was disproportionately impacted by COVID, due to the very nature that we don’t have a diverse economy and diverse revenue stream,” he said.

Garcia stated that Nevada Partners will be focusing on connecting Historic Westside businesses to resources that will allow them to tap into the tourism sector, increasing their chances for success.

“It’s a lot of little things that trigger people to focus their business on tourism just because Las Vegas is known for tourism, and so what better way to capitalize your business on, right?” she said.

Contact Sean Hemmersmeier at [email protected]. Follow @seanhemmers34 Follow us on Twitter.