By DCist Contributor Jacob Dean

Dock 5, Union Market’s semi-hidden event space (1309 5th Street NE) played host on Sunday to the final round of Launch Pad, a competition to see which of five promising local food entrepreneurs would receive a six-to-twelve month lease at Union Market and a number of other prizes, including a membership at Mess Hall.

The competitors hoping to take over restaurant RIS’ Union Market booth were (in alphabetical order): Arepa Zone, the Venezuelan food truck; Bao Bros Bar, a fast-casual concept centered around the increasingly ubiquitous steamed Asian bun; Bene, a “fine-casual” pasta-focused Italian concept; Half Smoke, a sausage-centric fast-casual venture; and Whisked!, the bakery whose homestyle goods appear in multiple venues across the area. While guests got to weigh in and ultimately decide the winner of the “audience Vote”, the grand prize was determined by a panel of local judges which included Ris Lacoste, Aaron Silverman, Patrick O’Connell, Katsuya Fukishima, Al Goldberg, David Hall, and Nora Pouillon.

Competition was friendly but fierce, and every entrepreneur was clearly invested in their concept. Bao Bros Bar was by far the most lively, and its two managing partners were enthusiastically greeting virtually everybody who walked up. Arepa Zone, who came to the event armed with food, drinks, and even dessert, stood by to talk up their food truck to anyone who seemed interested. Meanwhile, the team behind Bene continuously plated white lasagna and cavatelli with Bolognese, as well as a lightly dressed salad topped with crispy fried tripe, a bold choice which they deserve credit for serving. Next door, the team behind Whisked! served up individual mini pies and quiches, while also cleverly circulating workers throughout the room with trays of individually wrapped cookies.

Half Smoke was cooking and plating a variety of different sausages with flavors including veal and rabbit. This team, which would have won the award for “hardest working” were it to exist, was staffed by not just the entrepreneur behind the concept but also individuals from DC Central Kitchen. Mess Hall’s Al Goldberg said this was made possible by a partnership between Launch Pad and DCCK in order to commemorate their 100th graduating class, and to help place students with industry professionals who attended the event.

So how did things turn out? Winning the grand prize was Arepa Zone, whose combination of business experience and heartfelt presentation brought tears to the eyes of presenter and guest alike. Owners Gabriela Febres and Ali Arellano’s lease in Union Market is scheduled to begin on August 31st of this year but may take place even sooner, and visitors should keep an eye out for the change over. For those who may be concerned, Febres and Arellano will continue to operate their food truck, and still plan to open a full brick-and-mortar location sometime in the future.

Also winning was Bao Bros Bar, which ended the day taking home the audience vote. This distinction nets them a pop-up and membership at Mess Hall, as well as the potential for pop-ups at additional spots which are still to be determined. During their presentation the two partners, Nelson Wong and Louis Grayson, announced that in response to feedback they have decided to remove the “Bros” portion of their name (as well as the fist bump from their logo) and have rebranded as simply “Bao Bar”, a wise choice given the almost universally negative associations that bro-dom now carries.