Happy Pride Month!

It has been a busy summer already here at Res Nova Law, with new clients and cases and their myriad of legal issues. And with Howard and I both moving households (Howard last month and me next month), plus at least one graduation (my son) and an upcoming move to college in LA (my daughter), it's no wonder we didn't get the newsletter out last month! Add to that my "boot camp" training in a new practice area (to better serve our clients and their families) and scouting out new co-working space in Washington, and things aren't slowing down anytime soon.

Nevertheless, I plan on taking some time to support our LGBTQIA community this month by participating in one or more of the virtual events sponsored by Portland Pride 2021. You can see those events here and I hope you'll support them too. I also hope you'll find some time to put your feet up, grab a lemonade (or cocktail) and relish in the absolute beauty of our Northwest summer. 

Cheers! Susan

Small Business Spotlight

In belated honor of Asian American Pacific Islander month, this June we shine our "small business spotlight" on Portland's own BIBA! Chamoru Kitchen. Its owners, Ed and Marie Sablan, started their entrepreneurial journey with a food cart named PDX671 in May, 2010, and it quickly became their new home away from home. They named their food cart to honor both where they're from (671 is Guam's area code) and their new home, Portland. Because so many Portlanders don't know about Guam's cuisine, or even that Guam is a US territory, the Sablans wanted to start small and educate their audience via social media before they opened their first restaurant. With a lot of hard work, they were "fortunate" to be named one of the best new food carts in the Oregonian and Willamette Week within their first year of opening. They had great fun selling a limited menu until 2018, when they sold the cart and began working on creating a restaurant.

During these early years, Ed was working at St. Honore Boulangerie and came to admire the owner's celebration of French culture through all the Boulangerie did. As Production Manager, Ed also learned a lot about running a business, skills that would come in helpful when he and Marie launched the BIBA! restaurant. When asked whether he has had any doubts along the way, Ed responds:

No Doubts. Maybe concerns, but never doubts. My perspective of why I'm in business is my main focus. I'm in business to share and celebrate the culture and people of the Mariana Islands. Holding true to that really helps push me through anything negative, whether from outside sources or if I happen to get lost in my own head.

Ed and Marie are most thankful to the people, non-profits, and organizations supporting our communities, including government groups, minority groups, family members, and customers. That support helped their business survive a pandemic. They never once received relief from bills or rent, but the help they received during the past 15 months allowed them to not only survive, but to be positioned for future growth.

We highly recommend the island barbecue at Biba! Chamoru Kitchen and if you stop in, be sure to greet the staff with the friendly Chamoru phrase "Hafa Adai!" (pronounced "“huh-fah-day”), which means "what's up" or "what's going on"?

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