There are brief moments when Annisa Faquir forgets that the Little Red Hen Coffee Shop, the Altadena diner her grandmother founded a half century ago, burned down in the Eaton Fire.
“You think, ‘I can go grab something — oh wait, it’s in ashes,’” said Faquir, who has worked at the shop since her mother, Barbara Shay, took over the family business seven years ago.
The women want to rebuild the diner loved by neighbors for its shrimp and grits, catfish, and Shay’s secret house coffee blend. They knew they’d need help, but were surprised when Paris Hilton called to offer it to them.
The Little Red Hen Coffee Shop is one of 50 women-owned businesses impacted by the Eaton Fire receiving a recovery grant of up to $25,000 from Hilton ’s nonprofit 11:11 Media Impact and GoFundMe.org.
“These women are the backbone of their communities,” the reality TV star said in a statement. “Through this powerful partnership, we’re not just helping them rebuild — we’re investing in their futures, their families, and their neighborhoods.”
Faquir said the significant grant and the ease of the process was helpful, especially compared to tougher questioning for smaller grants from other donors who asked “for an arm and a leg.” “They saw us,” she said. “They heard our story.”
More than 1,800 businesses were located in the Eaton and Palisades fire zones, according to Los Angeles County’s Economic Development Corporation. They employed 9,600 workers and generated $1.4 billion in annual sales. The county estimates subsequent losses in economic output, income reductions, and tax revenue will be in the billions.
“Making sure they stay afloat now is supercritical so that we can even talk to them about longterm recovery,” Kelly LoBianco, director of L.A. County’s Department of Economic Opportunity, said of those businesses.
Businesses generally struggle to reopen after catastrophes. In 2023, three-quarters of small businesses were underinsured, according to the insurer Hiscox, and less than half had property insurance.
In the L.A. fires, many business owners also lost their homes. Some are still repaying loans from the COVID-19 pandemic. The county is distributing about $20 million in emergency grants, but LoBianco said much more will be needed.
After applications flooded in for its own program, 11:11 Media Impact and GoFundMe.org expanded it from 11 to 50 grants. The recipients include childcare centers, bakeries, bookshops, dance studios, and salons.
“Seeing the overwhelming response from women entrepreneurs in need of support showed us how important and urgent the need is to help this community rebuild,” said Hilton.
The money will boost entrepreneurs who worried the Eaton Fire had destroyed their futures, said Lizzy Okoro Davidson, director of the Pasadena Women’s Business Center, which is partnering on the grant program. The money can help pay back-rent after long closures, secure new spaces, and replace equipment. “In some cases the $25,000 will be the bridge to get them to 100% of what they need,” said Okoro Davidson.
