The Hot Spot Cafe has been recognized with an “Entrepreneur of the Year” award by the Small Business Development Center at Jamestown Community College. SBDC Director Courtney Curatolo said owner Hector Alverio worked with the SBDC on his plans to open the cafe on West Third Street, “He has really been an entrepreneur his whole life – starting new businesses, working with the community. He supports so many things in downtown Jamestown. He’s excited to be here and we’re so excited to have him. And we just know it’s going to get better and better. Even through COVID he succeeded even though he opened a month before COVID came to the U.S.”
Alverio thanked the community for supporting him and especially thanked his wife, who works at the cafe with him, “[She] has helped me out through everything, through the whole business. Just everything we do in our lives, she is my rock, my number one person supporting me in all my businesses and everything.. works with me hard day and night, every day. And she is amazing. That’s my number one person right there.”
Curatolo said the SBDC created the awards this year to recognize small business owners in Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties, “It’s been a real struggle for so many businesses in the past year and we wanted to just bring some joy to the community. There have been so many businesses that have overcome so much because their owners are true entrepreneurs. And we’re excited to work with so many of these businesses because we offer free business services, free consulting to small businesses.”
Ashville General Store owner Jackie Francis also has been honored with an award for being in business for 30 years.
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