Meet Lidoine
In New York, NY, Lidoine’s café serves handcrafted espresso drinks while building a family enterprise rooted in community and designed to last for generations. Since 2013, Grameen America has invested $143,000 in Lidoine’s thriving businesses.
Lidoine’s entrepreneurial journey didn’t begin with espresso; it began with tacos. When a neighbor recommended Lidoine to Grameen America, she was running a successful neighborhood taco shop. Lidoine invested her first $500 loan from Grameen America in essential food products, including fresh produce, tortillas, meats, and other ingredients needed to grow her business, eventually opening a second taco shop. Lidoine saw owning her own business as a path to financial independence, flexibility, and generational wealth. While continuing to run her taco shops, Lidoine listened closely to the needs of her community and, together with her son, decided to build a new business to meet a clear opportunity: there were no espresso shops in the neighborhood.
“Grameen America helped me save enough money to open my first coffee shop. With the loan capital from Grameen America, I’ve been able to purchase high-quality coffee products and invest in food equipment like blenders and toasters to expand our offerings.”
In 2023, Lidoine and her son’s first coffee shop came to life, blending her business experience with his technical training in coffee grinding, barista-style brewing, and bean sourcing. What sets Lidoine’s café apart is its extensive espresso menu, offering cappuccinos and specialty drinks that aren’t available at other coffee shops in the neighborhood. As another way to grow her business, Lidoine expanded the menu to include breakfast, including pastries and bagels with eggs and potatoes.
“My children motivate me, and I feel more connected to my children because we work together. I tell my children to work honestly and respectfully.”
Lidoine’s café business is generating income and providing opportunities for her family to achieve financial mobility and create a legacy. Her son and daughter-in-law help manage day-to-day functions, but as business grew, Lidoine turned to the community to hire two additional employees to support delivery services. The business has become a family operation and source of local jobs.
“With Grameen America, I’ve been able to save for retirement. Having a family-owned business makes me feel like I can retire when I want and pass the business down to my children and grandchildren so they can keep growing it.”
Lidoine continues to recommend Grameen America’s supportive network of entrepreneurs, access to low-interest loan capital, and valuable health education to other small business owners in the neighborhood. With her most recent loan from Grameen America, totaling $15,000, Lidoine purchased the retail location next door to expand her café. She remodeled the new space, purchased more tables, and created more seating for customers. Lidoine’s dream is to open a second café location with her son and daughter, continuing to build a business rooted in family and community.
