While Black Friday is among the busiest and most profitable days of the year for major retailers, Small Business Saturday is just as crucial for entrepreneurs and small-business owners.
November is also National Entrepreneurship Month, and with Small Business Saturday falling on Nov. 29, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri is celebrating a trio of local entrepreneurs whose businesses have flourished with help from its Community Economic Development–Microenterprise Program.
“This month is about more than just shopping small. It’s about recognizing the power of entrepreneurship to transform lives and communities,” said Marlene Elliott, managing attorney for the Microenterprise Program. “We’re honored to stand beside these inspiring business owners as they achieve major milestones and continue to grow.”
The Microenterprise Program provides legal and business support to low- and moderate-income entrepreneurs “who are building businesses that strengthen neighborhoods and create economic opportunity,” Elliott said. “From food trucks to retail products, these small business owners are proving that with the right guidance and perseverance, dreams can become sustainable livelihoods.”
Among those being spotlighted is Adjo Honsou and her business, FuFu N Sauce, which grew from a popular food truck serving authentic West African cuisine into a full brick-and-mortar restaurant.
“The first year there was a pop-up model at festivals and tents; the following year we bought the food truck,” Honsou told The St. Louis American in September 2024.
After growing up in Togo and moving to the United States at 14, Honsou said she missed her homeland’s cuisine but couldn’t find it locally. Becoming a chef and restaurant owner felt natural, she said, because she had spent so many hours in family kitchens.
“From a young age you are just around cooking. My grandma’s cooking, my mom is cooking, my aunts are cooking, everybody is cooking. Cooking for us is such a community thing to do. For example, Sunday’s everybody gets together, everybody’s doing their part, and so I just always grew up around the kitchen.”
Honsou gained national attention after winning Season 3 of “The Great American Recipe” on PBS, which airs locally on Nine Network. Her winning dish was Oxtail in Palm Nut Stew.
Before opening her restaurant, her food truck became a favorite at major regional events including the Taste of St. Louis Festival, the Juneteenth Festival, St. Louis Pride Festival, the Festival of Nations, and numerous “Food Truck Fridays” with Feast Magazine.
Also being recognized by Legal Services are Josh and Shay Danrich, the mother-son team behind Mr. Fresh, and Rita Wright-Jones, owner of Nacho Average Lemonade.
What began as a local business selling air fresheners has grown into a national brand. Mr. Fresh recently signed a deal with Walmart, bringing its signature scents to store shelves nationwide, according to a Legal Services release.
“I’m the only kid in the world with my own air fresheners in Walmart,” 16-year-old Josh Danrich recently told The American. “Never give up on your dreams, no matter how big they seem. I’m incredibly grateful to Legal Services of Eastern Missouri for believing in me and helping Mr. Fresh become a global brand.”
Meanwhile, Nacho Average Lemonade, located at 730 Carroll Street inside Soulard Market, is known for its colorful specialty lemonades, mocktails, and Mexican-inspired dishes. Wright-Jones recently secured a new manufacturing contract that will allow her products to be bottled and distributed on a larger scale.
“We started in 2021 as COVID first hit. As a family, we ate together, we cooked together and we decided to expand what we normally did at home and share it with others,” Wright-Jones said during a recent appearance on FOX 2 with family members. “We decided to do events, and the first year we did 40 events ourselves. We grew and got into Soulard Market.”
Legal Services’ Microenterprise Program has helped hundreds of local entrepreneurs secure licenses, contracts, trademarks, and other essential legal supports over the years.
“Each business story reflects a shared mission—to create equitable economic opportunities and foster inclusive community growth,” Elliott said.
complete names and addresses of businesses would have been a nice touch