A Caribbean-style chef, a cycling gym, an ice cream sandwich maker and a shop selling wine and home goods reach Round Two of the fifth Hatch Detroit Contest for small business founders.
A week of voting online and in person culled 10 nominees to the quartet announced Friday. The public has a role again in selecting the winner, to be picked next Friday night by judges after presentations downtown by each finalist at a $125-per-ticket event on the M@dison Building roof (photo below) from 6-9 p.m. Anyone can vote once a day here.
The winner gets a $50,000 grant, thanks to Comerica and Opportunity Detroit. Sister Pie bakery, which triumphed last year, opened four months ago at Kercheval and Parker in Detroit's West Village community:
Here's who's still in this time:
► The Royce Detroit: Angela Rutherford and Ping Ho, the founders, envision a shop offering wine and home goods. "We plan to collaborate with local chefs, artists and community developers, and use The Royce Detroit as an event space" for charity fund-raisers and other events.
► Norma G's: Caribbean cuisine by FoodLab Detroit member Lester Gouvia, a chef who runs the Demitart Gourmet catering firm in Royal Oak, which serves at pop-ups (such as at the Checker Bar in April) and who has a food truck that regularly serves at St. CeCe's parking lot.
► Live Cycle Delight: A planned downtown workout studio would offer indoor cycling classes, Bosu and TRX classes, and outdoor meet-up rides.
► Eskimo Jacks Artisan Cookies + Ice Cream: Its truck and carts have been at more than 700 events since early 2011. Two scoops of ice cream the business makes are served between cookies.
-- Alan Stamm
