Public voting for pastry shop, cider mill,
dumpling shop, tea lounge and Afro-fusion restaurant
continues until July 8
DETROIT, June 27,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The first round of votes are in
and after a tight race Hatch Detroit powered by TechTown has
announced that five entrepreneurial teams will advance to the final
stage of the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest, which includes another
round of public voting and the opportunity to compete at Hatch Off
on July 21.
Additionally, final round voting will be extended through July.
8.
"The public's vote is so critical in the Comerica Hatch Detroit
Contest because the people that are casting votes are the community
members that will be patronizing and frequenting these businesses
for years to come," said Vittoria
Katanski, executive director of Hatch Detroit. "Hatch
Detroit prioritizes investing in Detroit's 'biggest' small businesses by
elevating entrepreneurs and giving them the counsel and resources
needed to thrive in our community."
This is the second time in the contest's 10-year history that
five businesses have been named finalists. In 2019, the voting came
down to the wire and voting for the fourth and fifth finalists was
so close that the decision to include the top five vote getters in
the final round was made for the first time in the history of the
Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest.
"It is exciting to see such a passionate response to these
talented business owners and their retail concepts, and that is
what helps drive the success of this contest", Katanski continued.
"As a result,, it was best for all five finalists to have their
chance to compete in both the final round of public voting and the
Hatch Off since the difference between the fourth and fifth place
semi-finalists was again so compellingly close."
These rising entrepreneurs will go head-to-head to win the
$100,000 grand prize from Comerica
Bank as well as pro bono support and counsel from Hatch Detroit
powered by TechTown to kickstart and open a brick-and-mortar
business in Detroit, Hamtramck or Highland Park.
The five finalists now enter the final round of public
voting and will have the opportunity to present their business plan
in front of a live audience at the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest's
annual Hatch Off on Thursday, July
21.
The five finalists vying to take home $100,000 in this year's Comerica Hatch Detroit
Contest are:
- COLFETARIE: a European dessert and pastry shop,
specializing in Romanian desserts and pastries. Their goal is to
bring together the cultures of Detroit and Romania, while offering a taste of
Europe, right in the heart of
Downtown Detroit, no passport
needed!
- Detroit Farm and Cider: a 4.9 acre commercial farm on
Detroit's West side with plans to
build a cider mill and offer youth day camps and horseback riding
classes.
- Gajiza Dumplins: a dumpling shop that specializes in
Asian style eats and handmade dumplings from scratch. The dumplings
come in more than 30 flavors and range from traditional pork and
shrimp Shumai to contemporary western style, including miso
cheeseburger gyoza or goat cheese and leek. Their focus is based on
Asian street food: fast and delicious.
- Lily's & Elise: a luxury tea lounge on the Avenue of
Fashion whose primary focus is in the premium service of
European-style afternoon and high tea with fresh pastries and small
plates to accompany orders.
- Little Liberia: an Afro
fusion pop-up restaurant looking to find a permanent space to
introduce Liberia's rich
multicultural cuisines to the people of Metro Detroit. They serve
authentic Liberian dishes, a cuisine whose heritage is a mixture of
African, Caribbean, and
Antebellum-South African American influences.
To give the public extra time to cast their votes, the second
round of voting has been extended until 12
a.m. on Friday, July 8. Individuals can cast their vote once
every 24 hours online at www.hatchdetroit.com/vote.
The annual Hatch Off event functions similarly to a 'Shark Tank'
style pitching competition. The top five businesses will have the
opportunity to present their business pitch to a panel of judges as
well as a live audience. Public voting, along with the judges'
deliberation, will determine the winner of the 2022 Comerica Hatch
Detroit Contest.
"The Comerica Bank and Hatch Detroit partnership has contributed
to the cultivation and revitalization of Detroit's economy and community development
for the past 10 years," said Linda
Nosegbe, Comerica Bank vice president and southeast external
affairs market manager. "We have seen such an overwhelming amount
of support from the community as well as contest alumni. Supporting
local small businesses strengthens the lifeblood of our cities and
neighborhoods, and we partner with organizations like Hatch Detroit
and TechTown to help reward ingenuity, tenacity, innovation and
creativity."
Together, Hatch Detroit alumni have opened 49 businesses, employ
more than 500 people and have invested more than $7 million in their businesses. Over the years,
the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest has helped launch some of
Detroit's most successful and
well-known businesses, including, La Feria (2012), Sister
Pie (2014), Live Cycle Delight (2015), Meta Physica
Massage (2016), Baobab Fare (2017) and 27th Letter
Books (2019).
Tickets are now available to witness the top five business
pitches and see the winner of the Hatch Off competition crowned.
The Hatch Off takes place on at 7 p.m. on
Thursday, July 21, with doors opening at 6p.m., at the Wayne State
University Industry Innovation Center, located at 461
Burroughs Street in Detroit. To
purchase your ticket to the Hatch Off, visit
hatchdetroit.com/events.
About Hatch Detroit
Hatch Detroit supports both existing and new
retail initiatives in the cities of Detroit, Highland
Park and Hamtramck. Hatch
Detroit was founded in 2011 to
give residents and aspiring entrepreneurs an opportunity to have a
voice in neighborhood retail development and joined TechTown
Detroit's suite of entrepreneurial programs and services in 2022.
Beyond the contest, Hatch Detroit provides funding, exposure and
mentoring in support of its alumni entrepreneurs. With support from
Hatch Detroit, 49 alumni have opened businesses. They employ over
500 people and have invested over $7
million in economic development. To learn more, visit
hatchdetroit.com.
About Comerica Bank
Comerica Bank, a subsidiary of Comerica Incorporated, has served
Michigan longer than any other
bank with a continuous presence dating back over 172 years to its
Detroit founding in 1849. It is
the largest bank employer in metro Detroit and over 4,500 employees (FTE)
statewide. With one of the largest banking center networks in
Michigan, Comerica nurtures
lifelong relationships with unwavering integrity and financial
prudence. Comerica positively impacts the lives of Michigan residents by helping customers be
successful, providing financial support that assists hundreds of
charitable organizations, and actively participating in
Detroit's downtown revitalization.
Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA) is a financial services company
strategically aligned by three business segments: The Commercial
Bank, The Retail Bank, and Wealth Management. Follow on
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Comerica, Twitter: @ComericaBank and
Instagram: @comerica_bank.
About TechTown Detroit
TechTown is a nonprofit
business service organization that provides programs, education and
resources for early- to growth-stage small businesses and tech
entrepreneurs. By building bridges for entrepreneurs to
succeed, TechTown is accelerating an inclusive economy for
Detroit and Southeast Michigan. Since 2007, TechTown has
supported more than 4,700 companies, which has created thousands of
jobs and raised more than $172.5
million in startup and growth capital. For more information,
visit techtowndetroit.org.
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SOURCE Comerica Bank