When the owner of Uncle D’s Blazin’ BBQ endured a restaurant fire earlier this year, she didn’t let misfortune defeat her.

Instead, while dealing with the fire cleanup, she had to work harder than ever to diversify the business, continuing to run two food trucks while also expanding into catering.

“It’s been a painful process dealing with insurance paperwork,” said Angelina Gardner, owner of Uncle D’s. “We haven’t been able to do anything out of the building. Thank God we have the two food trucks. That’s saved us.”

The food truck business has expanded throughout the New England area, and now her Comfort Catering is starting to take hold.

The community also pitched in, and it’s that alliance that Norwich businesses are built on.

Uncle D’s is just one of the many successful minority-owned businesses in Norwich that has strengthened the community, and this friendship amongst businesses in Norwich may be the reason for bringing the city to the forefront of a recent study.

Conducted by Smartest Dollar, and based off of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Business Survey and American Community Survey, this report shows that the Norwich-New London statistical area is ranked sixth highest nationwide for ratio of minority businesses to minority population. The data nationwide states that though four out of five organizations are owned by those who identify as non-Hispanic white, minority businesses account for over half of newly created companies in the past decade, producing 4.7 million new jobs.

The percentage of minority-owned businesses in the area is 11.6%.

Gardner, also a member of the Rose City BNI (Business Network International), was born and raised in Norwich — the reason she started her business here. She’s not surprised by the high ranking.

“I have seen a growth in recent years. I think everyone here has that drive and are proud of where they’re from. Proud to own a business. People realize now they can do it,” she said.

Still, she acknowledged it’s not an easy endeavor, which makes the ranking even more impressive. “You have to do your research and it’s going to be hard. In the first five years, that’s when a business is going to fail. You need to push through it to get to the other end,” she advised.

It’s a sentiment echoed by others.

“Connecticut is not the easiest place in the world to start a business,” said Tony Sheridan, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut and an Irish immigrant. “I admire greatly anyone who starts a business. You don’t want to fail. A lot of businesses are underfunded but still determined to be in business.”

Sheridan has the unique perspective of being an immigrant, and seeing the area from his viewpoint shows why it attracts so many small businesses.

“A lot of people come work at the casino for a while. The area is attractive, people move families here, and then want to start their own business. I had the same goal when I immigrated here,” he said.

Michael Rauh, president and CEO of Chelsea Groton Bank, has seen business grow in spite of the pandemic.

“Whatever their motive is, it is what has built our country, and has built our region,” he said. “If we look at business statistics — New London County has a bifurcated business environment,” he explained, split between the large businesses of the casinos, Pfizer, and the U.S. Naval Submarine Base, and the small businesses.

“The 2010 census shows that more than half of business in New London County is $500,000 or less in top line revenue. It’s not ‘Mom and Pop.’ It’s Mom or Pop,” he said, stressing that we are very fortunate in this region to have these small businesses.

“With the various cultures of the region,” he said, “It makes sense to me that they are minority-owned.”

With 3.6 million people in Connecticut, one in five were born in another country. Many are in major businesses, and 7% go into business for themselves. About 28% of those are immigrants.

“This is a very friendly area. I would say there’s less discrimination here than in other parts of the country,” Sheridan added. “There is an openness here.”

Rauh also noted the region’s remarkable programs that support those seeking assistance in starting a business. Chelsea University, run through the bank, an educational training program for small business owners, is one of those. These eight to 10- week programs are “boot camps” for business training.

“Just because you happen to be a good plumber or chef doesn’t mean you are good at marketing, accounting, or a good business owner,” he suggested.

He mentioned the assistance of other programs in Norwich, such as Foundry 66, a co-workspace where people can rent their own office space. The space is managed through Norwich Community Development Corporation, which also runs The Working Lab, culturally dedicated business classes, and Global City Norwich. The latter promotes economic development and cultural diversity through festivals in the downtown area with vendors and pop-up businesses.

Suki Lagrito, who works with Global City Norwich, is a Filipino American and co-owner of The Main Plug, a streetwear store on Main Street. For her, a native of Canada, starting a business in Norwich was about exposing people to a new culture through clothing.

She too has seen minority businesses in the area grow exponentially over the past few years.

“In our area, a lot of minorities who are either first or second generation-born, like myself, are already familiar with small business. In other countries, it’s very common to start a business as a means to make a living versus making a resume,” Lagrito said.

“During the global pandemic, between March 2020 to June 2021, over 10 minority-owned businesses opened in the city of Norwich that I personally know of.”

Since then, the number has grown.

There’s a familiar bond between business owners and the community that perhaps is the reason Norwich ranks so high in this study, along with a multitude of educational resources, and for some, a necessity for a new career path after the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For Gardner, the most important thing a business can do is give back. That is what will help everyone grow together, and perhaps that is the magic of Norwich.

“You have to plant a seed in your community in order to flourish. You have to cultivate it and have to water it. It’s hard,” she admitted, “but we can work together and help lift each other. We are competition, but we’re also a community.”