Indochine Far East Café: A Thread Capital Rapid Recovery Success Story
In September 2018, Hurricane Florence hit the Wilmington area with devastating winds and rainfall. Weeks later, remnants of the destruction are still visible across much of Interstate 40 between Raleigh and the coast; however, at Indochine: a Far East Café, there is little evidence remaining of the storm thanks to Thread Capital’s Rapid Recovery loans.
Hours before the cafe opens, it is already bustling with activity. A cacophony of sounds fill the dining area as the clattering of pots and silverware, the chattering of voices, and the laughter of employees mix with the delicious scents of Eastern cuisine that waft from the cafe’s kitchen as the owner, Solange Thompson, and her employees prepare for another busy day.
Just two weeks ago, things were very different. Like many other small businesses up and down the eastern coast of North Carolina, the cafe was shut down by the damage left in the hurricane’s wake. Thompson explains that the wind had blown a large tree over, crushing part of her patio fence, a gazebo, and two of her employees’ vehicles. Additionally, she was left without power to run her refrigerator and freezers, ruining all of her perishables. Also like many other small businesses affected by Hurricane Florence, despite having insurance, Thompson struggled with getting the money she needed to reopen her cafe quickly.
Thompson attributes her business’s quick recovery—six days from when the storm hit to when they re-opened their doors to the public—in large part, to learning about Thread’s Rapid Recovery loan. The Thread team helped her to navigate the turbulent seas of small business disaster recovery.
“It was an extremely easy process,” Thompson explains, “My Thread Capital loan officer has been there to help me every step of the way and because of that, I was able to get the money I needed when I needed it!”
Thompson said that because of how quickly the loan was processed, she was able to pass her recovery on to her community. She was able to get the restaurant re-opened and to help feed her local customers, as well as the utility workers that had come from all over the country to help with disaster clean-up. Thompson even offered one group of utility workers a place to stay when she learned that they had nowhere to go. Because of the kindness she showed them, the workers cleared not only debris left-over from the storm on her property, but also, those of her neighbors.
Thread Capital provides a safe harbor for small businesses like Thompson’s. By weaving together the capital, coaching, and connections that entrepreneurs need to succeed, their team is ready to help North Carolina businesses during every stage of disaster recovery. From their short-term, zero-percent interest Rapid Recovery loans—like the one that helped Thompson rebuild her business in the days following Florence—to their brand-new Resilient Recovery loan program, which supports businesses in developing and funding their long-term recovery plans, Thread Capital has stitched together a tapestry of recovery products to benefit North Carolina’s small businesses.
For more information about Thread Capital’s Disaster Recovery Programs, reach out to the team directly by email: [email protected].