By: Las Vegas Now Staff
McCarran International Airport isn't just a hub for transportation, it's also the center of great business opportunities. Now, officials there are working to expand those opportunities, and they are targeting a very specific group of entrepreneurs.
Alejandro Alvarez is a successful business man. For more than 10 years, he's owned a Tex Mex restaurant. Last year, he opened a deli next door, and he's done it all inside McCarran International Airport.
“It's a unique opportunity because I have a business right in the center of the airport, which is the center of the city really, an incredible blessing, certainly,” he said.
In 1994, Alvarez took advantage of an opportunity offered by McCarran International Airport. A space inside one of the terminals is allocated exclusively for women and minority small business owners. It's the same opportunity McCarran is offering now.
Chris Jones, a McCarran spokesperson said, “We are a very large airport. Forty seven million passengers coming through here per year, so we still have a focus on two things — being reflective of the community around us and also giving small businesses opportunities to come in and do well in an airport environment.
Wednesday morning, airport officials explained to more than 100 people the details of the plan. Over the next year there will be 10 vacancies. They are all reserved for women and minority owned small businesses.
But there are no shortcuts. Each business owner must meet federal requirements, be competitive, and submit all of the proper paperwork.
“They need to be able to offer their own business plan. They need to be able to stand alone, have their own financial backing, have their own ability to succeed,” said Jones.
Jones says it's often difficult for smaller businesses to compete with large companies that have extensive financial backing. This opportunity levels the playing field for small business owners — like Alejandro Alvarez.
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