NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk is offering local food business owners a free eight-week course designed to help them grow — and a $7,500 grant waiting at the finish line.
The city's Bon Appetit initiative, which launched in 2023, returned this month to give entrepreneurs in the food industry the tools they need to succeed, from managing finances to hospitality.
At the end of the program in October, participants will pitch their businesses and gain access to city catering contracts, $7,500 in grant funding and a network of fellow business owners.
Lashawnda Hall, senior economic inclusion manager for the city of Norfolk, said the program was created to address a gap in the city's vendor pool.
"There's a limited amount of small businesses that provides catering services so this Bon Appetit training program was bridging that gap to ensure the city has vendors they can reach out to when they're hosting events," Hall said.
Danya Whipple and her husband are among the entrepreneurs taking part. Last spring, they opened Beignets and Brew, a dessert and coffee shop in Ghent. Whipple said the experience has been both rewarding and challenging.
"We've seen a lot of community support. It's also been a learning curve for us. My husband and I are entering a new stage of business. It's our first time being entrepreneurs," Whipple said.
When the Bon Appetit program became available, Whipple said the timing was right.
"We thought what an amazing opportunity," Whipple said.
The second week of the course, focused on marketing and branding, drew several growing Norfolk food brands. Among them was Moe Stevenson, owner of My Mama's Kitchen, who recently relocated his well-known restaurant to a new location on Little Creek Road.
Stevenson said he jumped at the chance to be part of the program.
"As soon as I got wind of it, I kind of knew I wanted to be apart of it," Stevenson told News 3. "Opening a bigger restaurant is like a new beast. Learning new techniques about getting customers, how to take care of your customers was something — I'm always down to learn more."
For Whipple, the program represents more than just a class. She said she plans to take full advantage of everything it offers.
"It's great that they're offering this knowledge for business owners but then giving us resources that can truly help to build our businesses," Whipple said.
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