Trinity Cazzola

As a member of the Army National Guard, Lt. Trinity Cazzola is used to being a man on a mission. He’s got a new mission now: lending his entrepreneurial spirit to the rebirth of New Orleans.
On Friday, September 21st Cazzola will be throwing a grand opening party for Mayas Restaurant, located on 2027 Magazine Street in New Orleans. However, Cazzola is no ordinary restaurateur: just three short months ago, he was on active duty in Iraq. With the help of business partner, Edgar Arias, and The Veterans Corporation (TVC), Cazzola was able build a restaurant from halfway across the world.

As a platoon leader in Iraq, Cazzola was conducting missions around the clock, coordinating up to 20 soldiers at a time from remote locations. Even though he was on call 24/7, he was still able to devote a few hours a day of his personal time to organizing the restaurant. Every moment he could carve out, Cazzola was writing a business plan, crunching marketing numbers, and even applying for a liquor license.

It’s no surprise that America’s soldiers are known for their determination.
Now Cazzola has the opportunity to be part of the rebuilding process in a city that’s still sorely in need of help.

Like many soldiers, Cazzola understood that returning home would mean facing a whole new set of challenges. He wanted a head start, and even though he was 7000 miles from home, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to begin building his future.

He hopes that his experience will be an inspiration to other soldiers who will soon be returning to civilian life. Cazzola was lucky enough to find help through TVC’s Access to Capital program, and now he wants to help active soldiers and Veterans become aware of these resources.
But Cazzola says that his proudest moment will be helping New Orleans turn around.
“I fell in love with New Orleans in March 2006.” He said. “Now, I have the opportunity to contribute to the economic recovery of the New Orleans small business community… I think that the rebound in New Orleans will be similar to Chicago with its 1871 Great Fire and San Francisco with its 1906 Great Earthquake.”

Cazzola made an immediate impression when he contacted TVC’s Entrepreneur Assistance Expert, James Mingey. “I was amazed. Here is a guy who must be under incredible stress while serving our country, and he’s still got the willpower to pursue his dream. I was determined to help him any way I could.”

With the government faces the daunting prospect of reintegrating thousands of returning soldiers, TVC wants to ensure that new Veteran entrepreneurs have the resources to succeed. As any small business owner knows, capital is often the hardest thing to come by. While there are number of veteran loan programs out there, soldiers like Cazzola have a hard time cutting through the red tape
The Access to Capital program is designed to change all that.

TVC is providing Veterans with experts to help them through the process, whether they’re starting a business, or just need a little cash to keep things going. When Cazzola entered the program, he got full service help, from simple business plan advice to conference calls with bankers. Starting a restaurant takes time, but TVC is not in the business of giving up on Veterans, and they were eventually able to help Cazzola find the right loan.

Now, his future is a little closer.

Next week, Trinity Cazzola will probably be immersed in the details of planning a Grand Opening. It won’t be easy, but he’s no stranger to a little stress. For Cazzola, Mayas Restaurant will be the realization of his dreams and a validation of his hard work. It should also be a reminder that the Veterans who have served this country deserve our appreciation and our help.

And if you don’t get the chance to be there on the 21st, feel free to stop by Maya’s Restaurant any time for a little bit of Latin cuisine, a drink or two, and maybe even some dancing.