Two growing Enid businesses have each received $10,000 in grant funding.
Enid Family Martial Arts and Lenox Drive-In were announced Wednesday as recipients of the second annual MicroEnterprise Grant.
Enid Regional Development Alliance (ERDA) received a total of eight applications by the end of January, according to a release.
The two awards were funded by $10,000 from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) — through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) — and a $10,000 match by ERDA.
Ryan Mercer has owned Lenox Drive-In since 2018, but the local restaurant has been in service since 1953. Over the years, Lenox has provided quality food and service to customers that visit its location on Grand. 
To jump-start the revitalization of Grand, Lenox Drive-In will use funds from the grant to support repairs to the historic building and pave the parking lot.
“What an honor it is to be the recipient of
such generosity,” Mercer said. “These funds will be of great assistance as we continue to revitalize our building and continue serving delicious food to the great folks of Enid and the surrounding communities.”
Enid Family Martial Arts owner Alex Evers said he intends to use grant funds to purchase a used van and safety equipment and employ additional staff members to support expanded operations.
“The grant funds will allow us to purchase another vehicle to expand our services to more families at more schools. This will allow us to help build future leaders in the community with our leadership building martial arts classes,” Evers said.
Family Martial Arts has been located in downtown Enid since 2018. The academy uses martial arts to instill values like focus, confidence and self-discipline into students. In addition to the kids and adult classes, Evers and his staff provide day camps and after-school programs.
“Both Enid Family Martial Arts and Lenox Drive-In will utilize their funds in different ways that each provide value to our community,” ERDA Executive Director Lisa Powell said. “We look forward to working with both businesses as they continue to grow.”
Last year’s MicroEnterprise Grant recipient was Latoya Peyton with Sunny Moon Daycare.
ERDA intends to offer the MicroEnterprise Program again in the next fiscal year and will release details on the application process this fall.
For more information, contact the Enid Regional Development Alliance at (580) 233-4232.