Melissa and Ronald opened Nonna’s Pizzeria in November 2019 in Vauxhall, Alberta. Melissa says the community has been extremely supportive since their opening day.
They’ve built the space to be a welcoming atmosphere for friends and families of all ages to spend time together, socialize, and catch up over a house-made pizza, made with fresh dough, fresh sauce, and everything made from scratch daily.
“We are from the Philippines, and we wanted to build something of our own, something we could be proud of,” says Melissa. “We really felt the community hug, especially during COVID. We opened just months before the restrictions hit, and the way Vauxhall supported us during those tough months really meant a lot. The community support is the reason why we are still here.”
When the duo felt ready to grow their branding, they came across a sponsored Facebook advertisement about the Beautification Loan being offered by Community Futures Chinook.
At first, they were concerned about the challenging process. However, they decided to reach out and were connected with Alvaro Mendes, Executive Director with Community Futures Chinook.
“Alvaro has been great, because he’s very approachable and he made the process to apply for the program so easy and positive,” says Melissa.
The business owner says the Beautification Loan has encouraged her and her husband to move forward and grow the business, rather than feeling stuck.
“It’s empowering to know there’s an organization that believes in small business owners like us,” says Melissa. “It helps a lot knowing we’re not doing it alone.”
“We’re grateful for Community Futures and for the community that supports us. Knowing there are people who genuinely want to see us succeed, it inspires us to continue doing the work for our restaurant.”
