In 2013, leaders of Main Street Marshfield, in Marshfield, WI, wanted to bring a bakery downtown. Rather than traditional business recruitment techniques, the Main Street program hosted the Baker Battles.
Bakers from the surrounding area competed in a bake-off with a prize of $500 and a grant if they opened a downtown bakery in the next 12 months.
The winner, 2-1/2 Cups bakery, is still a popular downtown destination offering gourmet cupcakes, custom cakes, and other sweet treats.
Meanwhile in Brooklyn, NY, a new competition is helping food-based businesses grow. The Make it in Brooklyn: Brooklyn Bites Food Tech Pitch Contest awards a $5,000 prize to the winning business.
Five startups pitch their food-based businesses to a panel of expert judges. The judges evaluate each presentation based on criteria such as innovation, feasibility, market potential, and impact. Foodies and others are invited to attend the event. Tickets are $7.
More on business competitions appears in the pages of Downtown Idea Exchange newsletter. Click to learn more about Downtown Idea Exchange and other resources for revitalizing downtowns and commercial corridors.