Honouring family with the help of the CIBC Black Entrepreneur Program

Growing up, food was a big part of Jennifer Robertson’s family dynamic. 

Jennifer was very close to her Aunty Linda, her mother’s sister, who was like another mother to her. Her mother and Aunty Linda came from a family of 12 from St. Vincent and Grenadines in the West Indies, where they learned to cook from their mother, Jennifer’s grandmother. Aunty Linda had a catering company, and Jennifer would often help after school and on weekends.

Although Jennifer is an engineer by trade, her love for her Aunty and the bond they shared over food fueled their dream of opening their own authentic West Indian restaurant in Edmonton. People might only think of Caribbean food as takeout in a Styrofoam container, but Jennifer and her aunt wanted to elevate it and turn it into a fine dining experience.

As Jennifer and Aunty Linda started to plan how to make their ambitions a reality at the beginning of 2020, the unthinkable happened and Aunty Linda passed away suddenly. 

When Aunty Linda died, their dream nearly did too. 

Jennifer didn’t know if she should continue. But after consulting with her family, Jennifer knew the right thing to do would be to move forward with bringing the restaurant to life. 

With the decision made, Jennifer’s family came together to recall Aunty Linda’s recipes and tricks in the kitchen, determined to make her dream a reality, to pay tribute to her and to the community at large. 

Before turning to CIBC, Jennifer had been trying to work with another bank to secure funding, but COVID changed the requirements to qualify, making it increasingly difficult to obtain a loan on her own. Jennifer notes that her parents wanted to be co-signers, but she was determined to make it on her own: “My parents are retired, and I didn’t want to leverage their retirement money to do this.”

Thankfully, she didn’t have to worry about that. Things fell into place for Jennifer after she applied online for CIBC’s Black Entrepreneur Program. Michelle Raju, Business Planning Consultant, called her right away to get the ball rolling, and as soon as Jennifer started talking to Michelle, “everything felt right.” In fact, Jennifer says that working with Michelle was like “having another mom” to support her through the process and with her dream.

Michelle jumped into action to help Jennifer. “I sat down with Jennifer and helped her with the business plan and the financial documents needed. There was a little bit of a hiccup with the cash flow projections, but we worked through it. I was praying every day to make sure that this dream comes true for her.”

After a long journey, Jennifer could finally breathe easy, with the exciting news that she had been able to secure a loan through the CIBC Black Entrepreneur Program. 

It was a happy day for everyone. Michelle shares, “When she signed her loan documents, Jennifer brought her mom, and she hugged me and said, ‘You don’t know how much this means to us. My daughter is very hard-working, and when she makes up her mind, she does it.’”

With the loan from CIBC, Jennifer fulfilled her dream and opened Sauce Modern Caribbean Cuisine Opens in a new window.. She explains that the name of her restaurant came from her love of sauce, and the fact that people knew when she was a kid that if you didn’t give her enough, she’d be coming back for more. As well, sauces are a major component of Caribbean dishes, so she wanted to honour that.

In the future, Jennifer has ambitions to bottle and package their spice blends and sauces, to allow others to bring Aunty Linda’s signature flavours into their homes.

If you’re looking to start a business or expand your current establishment, CIBC is here to support you on your journey. 

Connect with a dedicated CIBC Business Advisor who will work with you to understand your needs, provide expert advice and customized financial solutions. Whether you need to review your borrowing options, cash management needs, or you just need a little extra support, we’ll make it easy for you to make your ambitions a reality.

• Expand your business with the Black Entrepreneur Program Loan. Get more information about this program.
• Need help managing your cash flow? Learn more about your cash management options.
• We’ve got financing advice for your next steps. If you have borrowing needs, see how advisors can help you achieve your goals.