“JC Lofton will be around for the next 100 years because we’re going to make sure we keep it going. We feel good about where we are right now, and we’re looking forward to bigger and better things.” — Eddie Lofton, owner of JC Lofton Tailors

As the owner of JC Lofton Tailors in Washington, D.C., Julius “Eddie” Lofton is continuing a family tradition that began in the late 1930s, when his late grandfather, Josephus C. Lofton, whom the shop is named for, opened Lofton Custom Tailoring and became the first African American to own a tailoring shop/tailoring school in the district.

“My grandfather was a pillar in the community,” Lofton said. “He always tried to help people and show people respect, and he taught me the same things.”

Like his grandfather, Lofton has served everyone from politicians to celebrities to nearby Howard University students, tailoring their professional attire and outfits for events such as weddings, New Year’s Eve parties, and presidential inaugurations. But when the COVID-19 pandemic began, resulting in many people working remotely and countless in-person events being canceled, there wasn’t much of a need for tailoring, Lofton said — and some people weren’t able to afford their tailored items. Yet Lofton still needed to pay his tailors and the rent and bills for his shop.

Fortunately, he applied for and received a $10,000 grant from Wells Fargo’s Open for Business Fund through Local Initiatives Support Corporation, allowing him to catch up on some of his bills. The $10,000 grant has been a relief for Lofton and has allowed him to continue his grandfather’s legacy.

Lofton has four grown children and six grandchildren, some of whom have already expressed interest in running the business one day. Receiving help to get through these hard times will ensure that his grandfather’s legacy continues to live on.

“JC Lofton will be around for the next 100 years because we’re going to make sure we keep it going,” Lofton said. “We feel good about where we are right now, and we’re looking forward to bigger and better things.”

“The PPP loans breathed life into us. I’m thankful every day. I wake up and say, ‘Thank you Wells Fargo.’ Otherwise, a shop like this would’ve been closed a long time ago.” — Suha Kaidbey, owner of Le Printemps

Flowers are pieces of art for Suha Kaidbey, who always assures her customers that their orders will be spectacular. For the 37 years the floral shop, Le Printemps, has been open, business was good. Kaidbey’s luxury line started working with hotels, politicians, and celebrities over the years. “I look at this business as a boutique,” she said. “I give each client attention and the best I can do for them.”

But because a lot of her business comes from hotels, weddings, and other events, the COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected the florist. Over the course of about a week in March 2020, multiple hotel managers called to cancel their orders. Business dropped about 50%.

“It was 100% traumatic,” Kaidbey said.

That same week, her daughter moved to Washington, D.C., and soon began helping with the business and looking for financial resources. They applied for and received both rounds of PPP loans from Wells Fargo, along with support from Casey Morris, their business development officer.

“Casey was super helpful,” Kaidbey said. “If I had a question, he answered it. He was there all the time for me.”

Le Printemps used the loans for payroll and to pay bills. They also took time during the pandemic to make the shop’s website more of a focus to reach more individuals. Today, most of the orders are made through the phone or website. And even though Kaidbey still isn’t sure how the future looks for her business, she is grateful.

“The PPP loans breathed life into us,” Kaidbey said. “I’m thankful every day. I wake up and say, ‘Thank you Wells Fargo.’ I just hope things get better, and we are around for another 37 years.”

“Once I paid the rent, I knew that help was coming and that I could keep my business. This is something I am very thankful for, and I feel very lucky.” — Sandra Foote, owner of Flip-It LJ Diner

Opening up a small breakfast-focused diner was not easy for Sandra Foote and her husband nine years ago. After emigrating from Bolivia, Foote met her husband in the U.S. They had their first child, a son, and decided to open a business together. But not long after the restaurant lease was signed, Foote’s husband died, and she had to figure out how to run the business on her own.

“It was very difficult for me. My husband knew everything, and I didn’t know anything about opening a restaurant,” Foote said. “It took me about six months to figure it out, but I realized I had to. For our family, for our kid.”

Flip-It LJ Diner, named with the first initials of her late husband and her son, serves mainly South American influenced organic and farm-fresh food. With the help of her employees who were like an extended family for her and her son, the diner has had steady business and rave reviews.

When the pandemic hit, Foote’s restaurant was among the many that saw business slow down dramatically.

“The customers just disappeared. And it was very difficult” Foote said. “My main focus was on my employees, and making sure that they would at least have some money to buy groceries, for their kids. I felt so devastated, thinking I would have to close this business that took so much work to open. I didn’t want to give up.”

During this tough time, a representative from the D.C.-based nonprofit, District Bridges, came to the diner and told Foote about grants available for small businesses. District Bridges referred Foote to LISC, a community development financial institution that is part of Wells Fargo’s Open for Business Fund.

Foote, who has often looked to her faith and prayer when she needed hope, said it was like being visited by an angel. It seeded the hope that her business would make it through. She was able to secure a CDFI grant that helped her pay her rent, and has since applied for and received other helpful funding.

“Once I paid the rent, I knew that help was coming and that I could keep my business,” Foote said. “This is something I am very thankful for, and I feel very lucky.”

With business now returning to somewhat normal levels, and the economy seeming to recover, Foote and her employees remain hopeful.

“This has been very emotional for all of us,” she said.