Norwich — Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, state legislators and city leaders visited Hispanic-owned businesses in Norwich and New London on Thursday for Hispanic Heritage Month.

The shops in the downtown Norwich neighborhood support one another and their customers, owners of Mi Gente Express 2, Mofongo House and Jasmine Market II told Bysiewicz, state Sen. Cathy Osten, state Rep. Kevin Ryan and several city leaders Thursday morning.

Like many other businesses, the Hispanic and Caribbean markets and eateries on Franklin Street have suffered during the coronavirus pandemic, when many of their clientele lost their jobs in the region.

Cristina Rivadeneira, co-owner of Mi Gente, a market and money transfer service at 212 Franklin St., said Thursday she and her husband, Ruben Cruz, tried to help their customers get tested for and vaccinated against COVID-19, fill out unemployment applications and get emergency food and rental assistance.

All three Norwich business owners said they are happy to be downtown and that the city is seeing a growing number of immigrants from Central and South America, especially from Peru and Guatamala, and Haiti, in the Caribbean.

Rivadeneira and Cruz, both from Ecuador, said Cruz’s brother owns a Mi Gente location in New London and told the couple Norwich needed a store that offers imported groceries and money wiring services. The store has been on Franklin Street for 10 years, the past five at its current location.

Two doors down at 202 Franklin St., Nahum Paguada, originally from Honduras, said his takeout restaurant Mofongo House is named for the popular cooked, mashed plantain bananas flavored with garlic or cilantro. He sells fried or baked chicken and pork, white and yellow rice, chicken stew and other items.

Paguada lives in Hartford, but said he is happy with his shop in Norwich. “I make money in Norwich,” he told the state and city leaders. “That is the great American dream. We opened a business here, and so far, so good.”

But he said the pandemic, recent supply shortages and spike in food costs are challenging. Some basic food items have doubled in price. He doesn't blame the political leaders for those costs, but asked that the state reconsider the new plastic bag tax, which he said adds more cost to “compound” the problem.

Mely da Nieto and her cousin opened Jasmine Market II, a small grocery and general store at 184 Franklin St. after their success at Jasmine Market I on Central Avenue in Greeneville. The Franklin Street store will celebrate its second anniversary in December, she said.

The store sells everything from imported Mexican spices and dried goods from several countries ranging from Central and South America to Cape Verde, to fresh baked goods, snacks, sneakers and T-shirts.

“It’s quite the international store,” Bysiewicz said.

Suki Lagrito, liaison for Global City Norwich, which had hosted numerous international festivals downtown before the pandemic, said Nieto was motivated to add the downtown store after she saw the lively, crowded festivals.

All three Norwich owners said they were pleased with the support local businesses have received from the city and state.

Rivadeneira said when they first opened on Franklin Street 10 years ago, the neighborhood was unsafe. She said police have responded and are visible. She said safety is important to the shops’ many customers who do not have cars and walk downtown to shop and to take the commuter buses.

“The police take care of it,” Rivadeneira said. “It’s very, very good right now. We believe it’s safe on the street. The police are here.”

In New London, Bysiewicz, Mayor Mike Passero and other city officials visited the Dominican Association of New London at 60 Jay St. and the Rico Chow restaurant at 403 Williams St.

c.bessette@theday.com