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Williamsburg cafe rides Latino boom

BY FARNOOSH TORABI | SPECIAL TO amNEWYORK

March 27, 2006

If not for its bright yellow awning, the Caspicara Art Cafe in Williamsburg would be a hard place to find.

The tiny shop sits on an otherwise stark block on Meserole Street, home to a Jehovah's Witness center and neat rows of tenement buildings. From the outside, the cafe seems quiet and conservative.

But beyond its glass door, the 2-year-old cafe serves as lively place to convene, catch up on gossip, sip on espresso and admire an eclectic mix of paintings.

"This is the only place where I can find nice people and delicious food," said Jose Barberan, a retired musician who can be found at the cafe at least three times a week, gazing at the art.

Many of the wall hangings belong to "el pintor del pueblo," or the painter of the town, as neighbors say in Spanish. That painter is Abraham Ushina, also the cafe's owner.

Ushina, 35, moved to the U.S in 2002 from his native Quinto, Ecuador, where he was an art teacher.

"I don't like to work for other people," he said through a translator. "But I don't see myself as an entrepreneur. I see myself as an artist supporting art. I want a place where all artists can meet."

Despite his modesty, Ushina is the face of a nationwide entrepreneurial boom, where between 1997 and 2002, Hispanics opened businesses faster than any other group, according to recently released Census statistics.

New York was at the forefront of that trend, and experts say the city continues to be fertile ground for new Hispanic businesses as more immigrants settle here.

"The Hispanic spirit is very entrepreneurial," said Chiqui Cartagena, author of "The Latino Boom."

"A lot more immigrants are becoming bilingual, and as they feel more comfortable, they take advantage of small business loans and the resources available."

Ushina said he faced a lot of challenges at the beginning of his venture.

"The hardest part was making the decision," he said. "I didn't have money, information or experience as a business owner."

But with some savings and a $10,000 loan from microlender ACCION New York, Ushina has been making some financial progress with the cafe. He's thinking about borrowing even more money to open a second shop.

What motivates him, he said, is his love for art and family, including his wife, Carmen, and 13-year-old daughter, Lisbeth, for whom he is striving to create a better life.

Lisbeth recently started high school in the city; she said it has been a hard adjustment. She misses her family and friends in Ecaudor, and wishes she could have the best of both worlds.

"When you come to [the U.S.], kids who know English laugh at you and you feel bad," she said in her now-perfect English.

But she recognizes the opportunity living in New York City provides. Her black eyes widen as she hears Ushina talk about expanding the store and selling his paints for $3,000 apiece at exhibitions in midtown.

Caspicara Cafe, Ushina said, is also a place for social equality.

"People can meet, regardless of their backgrounds, joined by a love for meeting people and celebrating art," he said.

"Art is a universal language, and this place is open to the world."

Farnoosh Torabi is the business producer at NY1 News. If you know a small business with an interesting story, please e-mail her at AMSmallBusiness[at]gmail.com. Tim Chan contributed to this story.