TAMPA, Fla. — Corona’s Coffee Shop in Tampa wasn’t exactly sure how they’d be celebrating their 40th anniversary after suffering tremendous damage due to Hurricane Milton.
“When you talk about a business being open for 40 years, it’s a landmark of this community,” said owner Yohanna Santos.
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Ever since Yohanna moved from the Dominican Republic to Tampa at age 17, Corona’s Coffee has had a special place in her heart.
“It was my mother’s first job when we came to this country back in 1999, so through the years we had family members that worked here, all the family members," said Santos. “I always had an interest in restaurants and especially for serving people, so when the owner decided to retire back in 2019, and offered it to me, of course I couldn’t say no.”
Yohanna wasted no time adding Dominican recipes to the menu.
“My mother first of all is very proud of me being here, all my cooking has to do with her,” said Santos.
Life and business were good. Former owner, Miguel Pons, even returned to celebrate their 40th year, which also proved to be their most challenging due to Hurricane Milton.
“We were closed for 15 business days and, being a small business, that’s not easy,” said Santos.
One year later, damage is still evident. They don’t even have the funds to replace their Nebraska Avenue sign. But all that changed this summer when DoorDash awarded them a $10,000 grant.
“We couldn’t be any happier, for a small business to receive this type of help means the world,” said Santos.
The grant was part of DoorDash’s Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund, awarding over $2.5 million to more than 250 restaurants affected by natural disasters since 2021.
“I am making sure that more small business owners know about these programs; they know they do exist. I’m living proof that these programs do work,” said Santos.
Yohanna said DoorDash accounts for about 20 to 30 orders a day. It’s nice to know they care about the people who make those orders possible. In the case of Corona’s Coffee, they can finally afford a new sign.
“It’s already ordered,” said Santos.
DoorDash continues to help those in need. They have expanded their program to now include small businesses outside of restaurants.
Maggie Polachek, Social Media Manager at DoorDash, issued this statement to Tampa Bay 28: “We know that natural disasters devastate entire communities, and small businesses are often hit hardest. That’s why DoorDash Local Business Disaster Relief Fund is proud to give businesses like Corona’s Coffee the lifeline they need to keep their doors open and continue serving the Tampa neighborhoods that rely on them.”
For more information on how to apply for disaster relief, go to merchants.doordash.com.
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