Vegan taco truck, dog park/bar among winners in Motor City Match

JAY DAVIS

e theme for the latest round of Motor City Match cash grant awardees was clear.

Each of the businesses who won a chunk of a total of $1.5 million in MCM funds Tuesday afternoon made it clear they’re proud to be a part of what they call the revitalization of Detroit’s neighborhoods.

e Round 22 winners range from a new dog park/brewpub and an educational program facility for Spanish language learners to a home and garden center.

More than three dozen Detroit businesses were awarded cash or restore funds for the launch of new brick-andmortar businesses and capital improvements for existing businesses. More than $1 million in cash grants will go to new businesses. Nearly $470,000 was awarded to established businesses, with funding coming from the American Rescue Plan Act.

Nepantla Cafe, operating as a food truck and pop-up restaurant, walked away with the top $75,000 prize. Chef and owner Rocky Coronado, who specializes in vegan tacos, plans to open a brick-and-mortar location at 5410 W. Vernor Highway in Mexicantown. e restaurant will o er vegan food and craft cocktails and host events.

“We want to keep it fun and light,” Coronado said. “A lot of people supported me. It lls my heart.”

Longtime restaurateur David Rich- ter earned a $35,000 grant to help with the opening of his Corktown restaurant, Alpino. Richter on Tuesday said one of his goals with the venture is to give back.

“I left in ’99 to go to New York to learn the restaurant industry, but the goal was always to come back,” Richter said. “I want this to be a chance to provide jobs for people who may not think about hospitality because there is a strong career path in this industry.”

Vesper Books & Wine owners Rob Wilson and Samantha Duggan earned a $50,000 cash grant for their business, to be located at 5001 Grand River Ave. in the Core City neighborhood. Vesper is a combination book store, wine bar and bottle shop that is planned to open later this year.

“Vesper is my brainchild that I started 10 years ago in Austin,” Duggan said. “I’m glad we have the chance to do it here. Vesper will be a third space for people. We think people need those spaces to unwind, especially people in the city of Detroit. is will give them a place to do that, share some bottles and access literature.”

Jameela Simpson will put her $60,000 award toward opening a store for her Crumbs Cookie Station business. Simpson, who started the business in 2018, plans to operate out of a storefront in the city’s Je erson-Chalmers section. Simpson’s cookies can be found in Rivertown Market in Detroit and Woodward Corner Market in Royal Oak.

“I started out as a single mother making the cookies. I got the idea to sell them and at rst sold them at my daughter’s school, at church,” Simpson said. “People would ask me when I was going to start a business. I’m excited to open my own location.”

For Round 22, 88 percent of the awardees represent minority-owned businesses, with 64 percent being owned by women and 81 percent owned by Detroit residents.

Motor City Match also awarded 48 other businesses in its business plan, develop and design tracks. ose grants go toward technical assistance, including business services, training and one-on-one advising.

Detroit Economic Growth Corp. President and CEO Kevin Johnson on Tuesday celebrated the winners.

“Today we celebrate entrepreneurship in Detroit,” said Johnson, whose group manages the Motor City Match program. “ e entrepreneurial spirit is the lifeblood of the city. at hard work and dedication drives economic growth in the city. e city is made up of a lot of neighborhoods. ose neighborhoods are vital to the success of the city. It’s good to see what’s going on downtown, but strengthening the neighborhoods is important.”