INAS’ Kitchen is very grateful to Bank of Hawaii for the grant assistance the restaurant received from BoH’s small business development project.
Inas’ Kitchen owner Rita A. Sablan Ed.D. said the $5,000 grant they received on Tuesday “will provide us an opportunity to achieve one of our business goals and that is to promote an eco-friendly environment in our community and most especially within our business.”
She, her husband, Frank, and son, Chef Sonnie personally expressed their gratitude to BoH Branch Manager Rose Sumor and Northern Marianas College small business advisor Maxine Laszlo on Tuesday. The training sessions on BoH grant applications were made possible by NMC and the SBDC.
Mrs. Sablan said since the global outbreak of Covid-19, Inas’ Kitchen’s dine-in service has been very limited. They have suspended their evening dinner service.
With the grant from BoH, she said, “We will now be able to use biodegradable food packaging and eco-friendly bags for our takeout services.”
Laszlo said, “We are very excited for Inas’ Kitchen and the Sablan family for being selected as one of the 2021 Bank of Hawaii grant recipients.”
She said Mrs. Sablan attended one of the SBDC’s four virtual training sessions on “How to Stand Out in Your BoH Application” in early August.
“These trainings were made possible through support from Northern Marianas College and the CNMI Small Business Development Center,” Laszlo said.
“In addition, all applicants were required to attend one of the SBDC-sponsored BoH ‘Smart Money Moves’ seminars. This opportunity is only possible because of BoH’s support of small businesses in our community, and our entrepreneurs are grateful for the chance to grow and thrive, thanks to BoH’s annual grant program,” Laszlo added.
On Wednesday, Inas’ Kitchen shared 10% of the grant with the Micronesia Islands Nature Alliance.
Chef Sonnie said Inas’ Kitchen has been trying for more than a year to switch to recyclable or bio-degradable materials.
“This is just to try and help out with the environment and MINA is one of those organizations that has a good cause. So we want to help them out as we do our part whenever we can,” he said.
Inas’ Kitchen owners, Frank Sablan, second left, Rita A. Sablan Ed.D, second right, and their son, Chef Sonnie, left, pose for a photo with Bank of Hawaii Branch Manager Rose Sumor, center, and Northern Marianas College Small Business advisor Maxine Laszlo during a grant presentation on Tuesday.
Inas’ Kitchen Chef Sonnie Sablan, third left, presents a check donation to Micronesia Islands Nature Alliance Program Director Becky Furey, center. Also in the photo are Inas’ Kitchen owners, Frank, right and Rita A. Sablan, third right, and Tasi Watch community rangers.
