Planned east-side Detroit grocer wins Michigan Good Food Fund showcase

An incoming east-side Detroit grocer won $5,000 from the Michigan Good Food Fund in a Thursday pitch event that centered on telling the story of a business’s brand.

Ten Southeast Michigan healthful food companies participated in a six-week training course that ended with Thursday’s showcase, where three winners took shares of $10,000, according to a news release.

The $30 million Michigan Good Food Fund hosted the brand-focused training and the pitch event at Next Energy in Midtown. The 10 founders had five minutes each to describe their brands convincingly to a judge panel and audience.

Chene Street Grocers won the top prize. It is a small, long-planned market, cafe and rentable commercial kitchen expected to open this fall on Detroit’s east side. It plans to sell local produce, bulk goods, prepared foods and “body care” products, according to its website.

Second place and $2,500 went to M&R Ventures, maker of Indian chutney and a sorghum snack called Poplettes.

The audience selected Cooking with Que, which is opening a demonstration kitchen and shared culinary space in New Center, for a people’s choice award of $2,500.

First published by Crain’s Detroit Business on April 12, 2019.