Making Money

Outlasting COVID-19: A Brooklyn Food Vendor Fights To Stay In Business

A story by Dayo Paul Oluwakoya

When Hema Ugwu first opened Brooklyn Suya on Franklin Avenue in Crown Heights, his aim was to introduce Brooklynites to the deliciously hot flavors of Nigeria's street food scene. However, just over one year after Ugwu signed his lease, Brooklyn Suya is struggling to remain afloat amid the mass economic turbulence caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The following video documents Ugwu's struggle to keep his fledgling food company open while so many restaurants are shutting down around him –– possibly for good.

When Hema Ugwu first opened Brooklyn Suya on Franklin Avenue in Crown Heights, his aim was to introduce Brooklynites to the deliciously hot flavors of Nigeria's street food scene. However, just over one year after Ugwu signed his lease, Brooklyn Suya is struggling to remain afloat amid the mass economic turbulence caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The following video documents Ugwu's struggle to keep his fledgling food company open while so many restaurants are shutting down around him –– possibly for good.

Made by NYU's Studio 20 graduate journalism program.