CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — In the last year, 8 new businesses launched in the downtown Mathis area. From food to extreme sports and drinks and there's more to come.
"What we do here is try to increase sales tax and one way to do that is by increasing foot traffic,” Economic Development Corporation Executive Director, Sabas Encinia Jr said.
Strolling down East Sixth Street. There are signs lighting up the windows that read open for business.
Encinia with the Mathis Economic Development Corporation or EDC said by the end of the year there will be 3 more new spots to check out.
"We're trying to fill in all these spaces we have available in downtown. So, this is one way in doing it is to have a program like this,” Encinia said.
That program Encinia is talking about is the revolving loan program, an initiative between the EDC and the City of Mathis through TxDOT's city revitalization project.
"We lend it out. They pay it back. We loan it out again and that's the whole deal,” Encinia said.
New businesses in town have used funding from the revolving loan program like La Esperaza Tortilleria and Labora Brewing Company.
"We're probably 95% done with the build and with licensing and all that it takes time. We're hoping to open in the first quarter of 2024,” President of Labora Brewing Company, Jake Resio.
Now with more people wanting to open a business. Resio has some advice.
"You have to do a lot of the groundwork on your own first. You need to know your business, have a really good business plan and then when you have your ducks in a row, stop by the EDC and then find out how they can help you get to your goal,” Resio said.
In fact, the City of Mathis and the Economic Development Corporation will have one of their annual meetings Wednesday evening to discuss the success of these new businesses in the last year and outline the plan for 2024.
