ORLANDO, Fla. — Becoming a business owner takes years of hard work and sacrifice, and the African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida currently helps 556 members take their ideas and become entrepreneurs in the Orlando area.

What You Need To Know

The African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida helps 556 members through networking, financial support, development opportunities and more in the Orlando area

The organization focuses on helping Black business owners, including George Ashford and Monica May 

Ashford and May run CB Catering and CB Bistro and Jazz Club 

These partnerships are supporting Black business owners like George Ashford and Monica May, who are husband and wife and own CB Catering, CB Bistro and Jazz Club.

Ashford, a Chicago native who has worked in catering and the restaurant industry for decades, said he has never forgotten his love for cooking and creativity in the kitchen. That inspired him to open CB Catering more than a decade ago and the jazz club in 2020.

“The jazz club started during the (COVID-19) pandemic, at the very beginning of the pandemic, because we actually fed, especially on those days, we were feeding about 600-700 people a day,” Ashford said. “We have private school lunch programs. We had camps. We had a Catholic Diocese of Orlando.

“So, we fed the first responders. We fed homeless shelters, shut-in shelters, different church organizations, and anybody who needed food. We were there to feed them for free.”

Ashford said that the catering business and the demand during the start of the pandemic, along with community support, helped them also establish the CB Bistro and Jazz Club. He said support from the chamber carried them through economic challenges associated with the pandemic.

“The African American Chamber has been a tremendous support for us. As far as resources, it is able to actually connect us with different organizations. If we need an accountant, if we need a musician, we need a plumber, if you need a carpenter, the resources are endless,” Ashford said. “Especially during the pandemic, they were very, very helpful with all of the information that helped us, kind of guide us through it. It was a pretty tough time for a lot of businesses here in Orlando during the pandemic, and we were able to survive.”

Tanisha Nunn Gary, the president and chief executive officer of the chamber, said it has been the “leading advocate” for Black business owners for more than 80 years.

“We believe in economic development, and we do that through four pillars: access to capital, entrepreneur training, development contracts, and networking. We know that if we bring all of those pieces together, we will be able to build a stronger economy,” Nunn Gary said.

She said the chamber has had a close partnership with owners May and Ashford because of their investment in the community.

“We believe in what they’re doing. They give so much back to the community. We partner with them to sponsor families and provide meals during the holidays, so it is just not a business for them. It’s about being engaged in the community,” Nunn Gary said.

In addition to running the catering business and jazz club alongside Ashford, May is also the principal consultant of Monica May Communications and is the founder of the nonprofit Let’s Spill the Tea.

For May and Ashford, jazz music is sentimental.

“To me, as a New Yorker, that’s how I grew up. My dad was a jazz musician. I was around music all the time, and why not create an atmosphere with good food and where people could come and just enjoy each other? It’s an experience when you come to CB Bistro,” May said.

She said that as she and Ashford work together as business partners, it’s important for each of them to bring their authentic selves into the picture.