For years, Philadelphia native Sonya Combs had put her bachelor’s degree in Biobehavioral Health from Penn State to good use as an Intervention Training Specialist at the University of Pennsylvania.

According to Combs, the job was great.

Until it wasn’t.

“I did a lot of traveling and had been to almost every country in the world,” she said. “I was burned out.”

Combs, a graduate of Parkway High School in Center City, decided in 2012 that it was time to pursue a newfound passion.

“I love to entertain,” she said. “When I bought my first home, I purchased a grill and quickly developed a love for outdoor cooking.”

What started as a hobby meant to entertain family and friends quickly blossomed into Smokin’ Sone’s Fresh Grill, a catering and private chef company that’s now expanding into a restaurant. The Black-owned, woman-owned business specializes in upscale comfort food and international menus comprised of fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

February is Black History Month, an ideal time to celebrate Black-owned businesses and the impact they have on their communities. Black entrepreneurs have always been innovators and change-makers, despite facing some serious challenges along the way, particularly access to capital.

After years of having her house filled more with cooking equipment than furniture, Combs recently acquired her own commercial space on South 48th Street in West Philly. She has fast-tracked the opening of her restaurant — scheduled for March — by turning to Apex Commercial Capital.

Horsham-based Apex is a direct, nationwide lender that offers commercial mortgages and equipment financing to small business owners, including those who are unable to, or do not wish to, obtain that financing through banks or other traditional lenders.

“I needed a new convection oven for my restaurant and reached out to Apex, and a rep contacted me within 10 minutes,” said Combs. “The application for financing was completed in 10 minutes and was approved in less than 24 hours. The new equipment was out in front of my restaurant in less than 48 hours.”

Apex, a subsidiary of Firstrust Bank, is committed to looking beyond the numbers and understanding each customer’s story to help them achieve their goals.

“As a business owner, if you don’t expand, you’re going to start to lose money,” said Combs. “Apex has enabled me to take that next step with my business.”

For Combs and her peers in the food-service industry, there’s never a shortage of obstacles to navigate — whether it’s fluctuating prices for ingredients wreaking havoc on profit margins, the difficulty of hiring and retaining staff, or general overhead expenses.

There’s much to juggle, but Combs — and the folks at Apex — knows the key to success is good, old-fashioned customer service.

“Doing inventory, creating recipes, cooking, doing work, training staff — it’s a lot,” she said. “Adding a restaurant arm to my catering business has been a learning experience. In the end, I don’t need 1,000 new customers, but I do need repeat customers. And securing them is a function of consistency and reliable service. In this date and time, with social media, you can’t send a dish out that’s cold or a lot of people are going to hear about it. So, I’m focused on going the extra mile and pouring every ounce of effort into the customer.”

Combs encourages diners to venture beyond the confines of Center City and its more renowned restaurant scene.

“We have a diverse, multicultural customer base,” she said. “And it always puts a smile on my face when someone tries my food for the first time and realizes what they were missing.”

This article originally appeared on Vista.today on February 24, 2025, and was written by Mark Hostutler. Click here to see the original article.