Business owners from Chicagoland and beyond gathered on Tuesday, October 29, to share insights, make connections, and collaborate at one of What Now Media Group’s Accelerate events.
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The free event at Welcome To The Farm at 15 W Illinois Street hosted over 20 representatives from businesses featured on What Now Chicago, including restaurants and retail concepts and a handful of industry-leading experts in What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners. Attendees mingled while enjoying bites and beverages.
Welcome To The Farm opened during Labor Day weekend this year, offering a classic American-style BBQ with Caribbean and Asian influences from Chef Raheem Sealey. Rick Turner, the Director of Events at Forward Hospitality, tells What Now Chicago that things have been fantastic since its opening a few months ago.
“The energy from our guests has been infectious, and it’s clear that the concept resonates with the city,” Turner tells What Now Chicago. “Our live music nights are packed, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. We’re grateful to our team and the Chicago community for making this venture a success.”
Throughout a presentation led by What Now Media Group Founder and CEO Caleb Spivak, local entrepreneurs and business representatives shared their stories, gave updates on their progress, and reflected on what they’ve learned through opening a brick-and-mortar in the Chicago area. Some key takeaways: You’ll get nowhere without passion; knowing how to pivot effectively is essential, especially after an emergency, and connecting with others in the community can be crucial.
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This is the type of essential service that restaurant owners can learn about at Accelerate events, where they can connect with service providers and experts who can solve their problems or questions.
One of the attendees at the event was chef Kevin Yu, who created the concept 2d Restaurant with his wife, Vanessa Vu. While the couple is in their second restaurant, the hopeful business owner said their goal was to open ten to twelve locations. The entrepreneurs took this opportunity at the event to share how things have been going so far with the business.
“The 2d food and beverage menu is crafted by award-winning chef Kevin Yu, serving a variety of trendy gourmet Asian treats from Japanese mochi donuts, Vietnamese coffee, Taiwanese fried chicken sandwiches, Taiwanese boba tea, and handcrafted beverages,” Kevin said at the event. “2d was ranked one of the top 20 donut shops since opening – the first-ever 2d concept with the United States of America. When people walk into our storefront, I want them to capture the feeling of escaping reality. The cafe is an exhibit.”
This was one of the many rewarding encounters shared at this year’s Accelerate event. Other business owners in attendance included Claire France and Samuel Soliz of Lunch Heroes. They aim to provide nutritious lunches to young people who might otherwise go hungry. They recently gave their 1,000th lunch last month.
Restaurant owners weren’t the only ones in attendance at this helpful event. Anna Dawson and Samuel Maddox shared valuable insights for SpotOn, a company specializing in personalized restaurant point-of-sale systems and payment processing software. Sam Blinderman and Gabby Mascari of BentoBox also provided helpful insights on how to help restaurants create outstanding hospitality experiences for their guests.
This led CEO Caleb Spivak to discuss critical business points, such as having an exit plan and efficiently managing operations after expanding to multiple locations. After Caleb and the guests shared their tips, knowledge, and concerns, everyone mingled and shared their information, hoping to advance their business even further with some additional help.
What Now Media Group shares restaurant opening news in 31 cities across the U.S., breaking news and providing timely insight into yet-to-open brick-and-mortar businesses. The platform shares news of thousands of openings across all 31 cities annually.
The industry-leading experts in What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners help new businesses open and existing businesses grow.
Stay tuned for future Accelerate events from What Now Media Group in 2024. For more details, see the Accelerate page here.
