{"id":100429,"date":"2025-07-28T22:01:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-28T22:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/100429\/"},"modified":"2025-07-28T22:01:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T22:01:13","slug":"thriving-cities-fund-aims-to-fuel-growth-to-small-brick-and-mortar-businesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/100429\/","title":{"rendered":"Thriving Cities Fund aims to fuel growth to small brick-and-mortar businesses"},"content":{"rendered":"

For Mary Perez, owner of Enchiladas Ol\u00e9, a new $10 million fund aimed at helping local brick-and-mortar businesses grow is something she can use. And she knows other small businesses can too.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a wonderful opportunity,\u201d Perez said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very grateful that they chose to come here because it\u2019s been a tough \u201924 and \u201925 for everybody, so it\u2019s very much needed by everybody in every industry right now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The small-business funding is coming to the Dallas-Fort Worth area courtesy of Atlanta-based safety tech company Flock Safety and managed by growth capital firm Homegrown Capital & Realty.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Thriving Cities Fund offers flexible, revenue-based financing to support physical-location businesses across the region, according to the company.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Perez, who recently expanded and opened Holy Cue at 4307 Camp Bowie Blvd., said tariffs and shortages have made it tough for her and other restaurants. But it is just one of many issues that show up unexpectedly for small businesses.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Thriving Cities Fund could help her in securing avocados, for example.<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting good avocados has been difficult,\u201d she said. \u201cHow can you have a Mexican restaurant without avocados? So there are always issues.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dallas-Fort Worth is the second metro to receive investment through the fund, following its initial rollout in Atlanta.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are all about providing growth capital to brick-and-mortar entrepreneurs, without the entrepreneurs selling their equity,\u201d said Michael Davis, Homegrown founder and CEO, during an announcement of the fund at Enchiladas Ol\u00e9 at 6473 Camp Bowie Blvd.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The loans are designed for small businesses such as local restaurants, coffee shops, fitness studios, child care centers, beauty businesses and other gathering places that contribute to community connection and vitality, Davis said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe think that there\u2019s kind of two steps to having a thriving community,\u201d said Davis.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Safety is step one.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople gotta feel safe going outside, going in their community and spending money,\u201d he said. \u201cEntrepreneurs have to know the safety is there so that they can justify making these large investments.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Homegrown helps provide the capital needed for the next step, to financially support the entrepreneurs as they\u2019re growing their businesses, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Camp Bowie District Executive Director Lydia Rickard said she is letting her members know about the program as quickly as possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a business owner myself, in another life, I know the difficulties that we face when we\u2019re expanding our brick and mortar, when we\u2019re looking to expand a business,\u201d she said. \u201cThank you for creating this opportunity.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

In an announcement on Thursday, July 24, Flock Safety said the region was selected for its strong base of independent businesses and entrepreneurial activity. The fund targets businesses with at least two physical locations and that contribute to local connections and economic vitality.<\/p>\n

Unlike traditional loans or equity investments, each deal is structured as a revenue share with no fixed terms, personal guarantees or upfront fees. Check sizes typically range from five to six figures, usually between $10,000 to $1 million, and are tailored to the needs of each business, said Davis. Unlike equity investments, the returns are capped.<\/p>\n

Entrepreneurs in the Dallas-Fort Worth area who are interested in growth funding through the Thriving Cities Fund can learn more and apply at thrivingcitiesfund.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Michael Crain, Fort Worth City Council member for District 3, said small businesses and entrepreneurs are the foundation of Fort Worth\u2019s economy and community character.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis initiative is truly a game changer \u2014 delivering flexible, non-dilutive capital to the very brick-and-mortar businesses that anchor our neighborhoods and help weave the strong fabric of our city,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Founded in 2023, Homegrown has deployed over $7 million to launch 40 new business locations across the United States, creating more than 500 jobs in the process.<\/p>\n

Flock is primarily known for its public safety technology. It provides camera systems and software to cities, police departments, schools and businesses to support crime prevention and investigations. According to the company, its platform is used by more than 5,000 communities and 4,500 law enforcement agencies nationwide, including in Fort Worth.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Bob Francis is business editor for the Fort Worth Report. Email him at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n

Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n

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