Black Owned Business: What Keeps ‘Em Coming Back

Raising money is hard. Getting someone to believe in an idea enough to provide seed money, or acquiring a loan if you’re a woman or a minority can be extremely difficult, if not impossible. This week, we hear from more Black-owned businesses in town, and continue to celebrate and honor National Black Small Business Month. 

How can one have revenue if they aren’t able to get their business up and running? And if you don’t have a business going to show you are capable, acquiring a loan to start one isn’t very easy to do. It’s like a dog chasing its tail – catching it is really hard.

We spoke with our Economic & Community Development Office to better understand the business landscape in town. Karen Sportini, Supervisor, shares this: “There are 2,881 registered businesses in Stratford according to the 2024 Grand List. These include every variation, from home-based to non-profits to huge manufacturers such as Sikorsky.” And within that list, there are 945 businesses who identify as minority owned.

One business many of us know is Open Door Tea, or the Tea Room, as it’s been dubbed.

My family and I moved to Stratford in 2014, two years before Open Door Tea opened its doors. In September 2016, Kasia Lindeberg’s dreams came true when she opened her very own tea shop in Paradise Green, our local shopping hub. She welcomed my family and me with open arms. My wife, a native of Sri Lanka, loved going to Open Door Tea, the little tea cups and saucers reminded her of home. Kasia’s attention to brewing the best cup of tea for my Sri Lankan wife, a Ceylon brew to boot, along with their cheddar chive scones made us frequent customers.

Fast-forward to July 2025, and Open Door Tea still feels like the same little place which has called Paradise Green home for almost 10 years. Now, however, Kasia no longer owns the shop, and Catera, who I sat down with over a cup of tea, is part owner of this staple on the green.

“I am one of seven owners, and this is a family business, just like it was before,” Catera told me as we sat in the Oasis Room, an expansion of the tea room which took place in 2022. The Oasis Room has a small wine bar, too, and is where people come to host private events, from meetings to birthdays and other joyful celebrations to breaking bread together as they remember the loss of a loved one.

According to Catera, although the business changes hands from one family to another, Open Door Tea will remain a place for the community to come and be welcomed. Her husband, Jacob, adds, “Come as you are. We are a place that is centered around people, food and tea, and through tea this space is about people, and it’s inclusive, rooted in compassion and openness.”

The new family, a mix of siblings and their spouses, two of whom are Black, all seek to maintain Open Door Tea for what we already know it to be – a place for good tea, tea centered events, and good food. A new addition to that was kicked off in late July – Trivia Night. With more than half of the population, 31,000+, in Stratford under the age of 50 years old, Catera’s vision is to get more new young people in the front door. Once they experience not only the food and the tea (they serve coffee, too), but the atmosphere, she’s confident they’ll want to become regulars.

Getting people in the door is half the battle, what keeps them coming back is key. 

Nikkya Hargrove is a mom, wife, author, and owner of Stratford’s only bookstore. She enjoys cooking dinner for her family, binge watching (any) television show with her wife, and spending time experiencing life with her family and dogs.