Jacksonville Urban League
Black Restaurant Accelerator Success Stories
The Sweet Spot and Urban Lounge LLC
Michelle “Chef Shelli” McInnis is the owner and pastry chef of Sweet Spot and Urban Lounge LLC. The company is a bakery that employs individuals with special needs. The company has been in business for more than 8 years.
In 2020 the company opened its first brick-and-mortar before the nationwide Covid-19 Pandemic shutdown. However, Chef Shelli could barely keep her business operating after the shutdown. Her business suffered significant financial hardship during the two years of the pandemic.
During the period of financial hardship, Chef Shelli registered with the Jacksonville Urban League Entrepreneurship Center (JULEC) to receive technical assistance focused on saving and sustaining the business. The technical assistance that was provided to Chef Shelli was funded by the PepsiCo BRAP, which also included the $10,000 BRAP Grant.
The PepsiCo BRAP Grant enabled Chef Shelli to develop and execute a more effective marketing campaign for her business.
Her new marketing campaign resulted in her company being awarded a contract to provide her food products at a Symposium in Washington DC at the Oprah Winfrey Theater.
The PepsiCo BRAP Grant has enabled me to sustain my company during a very difficult time. I thank the National Urban League and the PepsiCo Foundation for their generous gift.
Magnola Kitchen LLC
Magnola Kitchen LLC is owned and operated by Ms. Rosetta Johnson. Ms. Johnson has been operating her food service business out of a shared kitchen facility since its inception. However, in 2021, she enrolled in the Jacksonville Urban League Entrepreneurship Center (JULEC) small business training and counseling program to receive technical assistance to grow her small business.
The technical assistance that Ms. Johnson received from the JULEC included business plan development, marketing training, and access to capital.
The access to capital training included identifying available small business loan programs and grants for small businesses. One such grant was the PepsiCo BRAP $10,000 Grant. Mr. Johnson was recommended for the PepsiCo BRAP Grant, which was subsequently awarded to her.
Ms. Johnson has used the PepsiCo BRAP Grant to purchase new equipment and relocate to her own kitchen facility.
The new equipment and the relocation of her kitchen have enabled her to improve the overall operation of her business significantly, thus increasing the number of customers she serves daily and increasing her company’s profits.
“Enrolling with the JULEC was one of the best things that I have done for my business. Their recommendation of my company for the PepsiCo BRAP Grant really put my business at a different level. I can now operate out of my own kitchen, which enables me to control the operation of my business better.”Ms. Johnson has used the PepsiCo BRAP Grant to purchase new equipment and relocate to her own kitchen facility.
The new equipment and the relocation of her kitchen have enabled her to improve the overall operation of her business significantly, thus increasing the number of customers she serves daily and increasing her company’s profits.
“Enrolling with the JULEC was one of the best things that I have done for my business. Their recommendation of my company for the PepsiCo BRAP Grant really put my business at a different level. I can now operate out of my own kitchen, which enables me to control the operation of my business better.”