Despite the pandemic creating a great deal of hardship for everyone over the past two years, new businesses have been created at a record-breaking rate, reports Andrea Hsu for NPR.

This year, new business applications are on the road to top 5 million, which will completely topple the record set in 2020.

For many aspiring entrepreneurs, they’ve used the time during the pandemic to finally pursue their business dreams.

One such individual is Juby George, who has worked as a programmer for the last 21 years but has just opened his own South Indian catering business and food stall – Smell The Curry – at the Flourtown Farmers Market.

“I loved my job,” said George. “I also loved cooking.”

For a while, catering was just a side hustle for George. It wasn’t until the pandemic hit that he started getting more business because people weren’t going to restaurants or grocery stores as often.

Then one day, George spotted the open space at the Flourtown Farmers Market and within days, he had signed a lease and quit his programming job, which had been slow for a while.

“It was a good time for me to make that jump,” George said. “In 21 years, why not take a chance, you know?”

Read more about Juby George and Smell The Curry in Flourtown at NPR.