Bronzeville business owner said it’s taken creativity and a state grant to survive the pandemic

Trez V. Pugh III owns four Sip & Savor coffee houses in Chicago and the south suburbs. | Stefano Esposito/Sun-Times

On a scale of one to 10, running a small business is, according to Trez V. Pugh III, a “15.”

That was before the pandemic, said Pugh, the founder and CEO of Sip & Savor Hospitality Group Inc. The company owns four coffee houses: two in the Bronzeville neighborhood, one in Hyde Park and a fourth in south suburban Matteson.