(Editor’s note: This is the 24th installment in a monthly series speaking with minority business owners and leaders. Each is asked their views on minority-business conditions in the state and for ways to improve those businesses’ chances for success. See previous installments here.)
For Sterling Spellman, co-owner of Incred-A-Bowl Food Co., growth means not just expanding her business but sharing that success with people who are commonly denied professional opportunities.
The food truck company has transformed significantly from its 2013 beginnings as The Salad Man and Juice Bar food truck, with Spellman and her husband, Russell, rebranding the business as Incred-A-Bowl in 2017 and shifting to a menu of multicultural dishes.
Two years later, the business added a second food truck. And in the fall, the co-owners plan to open a restaurant at 1075 South Broadway in East Providence, where renovations are underway.
“Incred-A-Bowl is a company that celebrates culture through food, so all of our bowls are multicultural,” said Sterling Spellman. “When we open a restaurant, we’re going to expand that menu to different bowls that celebrate cultures from around the world.”
Drawing from her background in education, coaching and leadership and her husband’s experience as a chef, the company blends its menu of multicultural dishes with professional development opportunities for employees.
Working with organizations such as Amos House, the company, through its Incred-A-Bowl Fresh Start Program, seeks to hire and uplift people often deemed unemployable, including formerly incarcerated people and those with gaps in work histories or skill sets.
“If someone made a mistake years ago and they’re trying to get back on their feet but no one gives them an opportunity, how do we expect anything in our community or world to change if we’re not giving people second chances?” Sterling Spellman said. “The fact that I have the power in my hands to help someone through their next growth phase is mind-blowing.”
The business employs five people now, but she says that will expand to around 16 when the restaurant opens later this year. The Spellmans have big plans for the future, which include adding many locations and employing 2,500 people by 2030.
1. Do you believe racism is keeping minorities from starting businesses in the Ocean State or succeeding when they do?
I do believe systemic racism is a significant factor in why Black people do not open or do not thrive in their businesses in this state. When a racist and discriminatory situation occurs, it is often difficult to pinpoint or prove, and that is the danger. Oftentimes, Black people are gaslit when we bring to light situations where we have experienced racism and we know that race was a factor in the outcome. We have been conditioned to not speak up because of the fear of backlash and being accused of playing the “race card.” It has taken years of collecting data to prove that discriminatory practices and systemic racism impacts our level of success.
Even answering these questions causes some anxiety around possible backlash for speaking our truth and the experience of many in our community, but I strive to always speak truth to power.
2. How dependent is your business on the support of other minority groups? Is that a sustainable business model?
We are a multicultural food company that serves delicious and healthy food with ... [bold] flavors, like our Cuban chili mango bowl, Spicy kimchi noodles, Liberian bowls, and Korean barbecue beef. For our business model to be sustainable and thrive, we need all groups and members of our community to support us.
I often hear the misconception that Black-owned or minority-owned businesses only serve Black people or other minorities, and that is simply not true. For a majority of Black-owned businesses, that misconception can be detrimental to their growth. The market calls for diverse offerings and solutions, and customers come from diverse backgrounds. There is a need for Black-owned businesses to compete in the marketplace.
3. What one thing could Rhode Island do to boost the odds for minority-owned business success?
People from historically disenfranchised communities are oftentimes in survival mode. We often do not know someone who has been successful in business, how the system works or the questions to ask. You don’t know what you don’t know. Here are some things that would be helpful: make minority businesses aware of grant opportunities through a welcome/thank you letter at business formation; provide bank incentives for investing in minority businesses; form mentorship opportunities that support minority-owned businesses’ growth and sustainability.
4. Have you had to turn somewhere other than a bank for a loan? Do you believe the state’s lending institutions generally treat minorities fairly?
After several no’s from our banks, credit unions, state lending agencies, we had to turn to nontraditional lenders. Nontraditional lending has higher upfront cost and interest in the long run.
Sometimes they treat you like you don’t matter, that you are not capable of creating a profitable business, or are very dismissive throughout the vetting process. It can be very dehumanizing. I feel like they do not consider the full picture and that they may need to shift their practices to accommodate small-business owners with various situations.
5. If another minority entrepreneur asked you where they could turn to for support for their business, where would you direct them?
I learned early on that your network is your net worth. Get connected. You will need a third party to vouch for you to get your foot in the door or a seat at the table. In our experience, it was our connections and network of entrepreneurs that assisted in learning about grant opportunities, events and business incubators that have allowed us to grow and prosper at the rate we have been able to these last few years.
