Photo by Noe Todorovich
By DCist Contributor Jacob Dean
This past Thursday, Mess Hall (703 Edgewood Street NW), Union Market (1309 5th Street NE), and restaurant RIS (2275 L StreetNW) held the next round of this year’s Launch Pad, the competition in which hopeful entrepreneurs attempt to secure a booth in Union Market. Up for grabs is the prime space currently occupied by RIS, who until now have been using it to sell homemade kitchen staples such as sauces and stocks, prepared foods, and baked goods.
In a morning event held at RIS, five competitors met with members of the press and prospective investors to pitch their concepts: Bao Bros Bar, Bene, Half Smoke, Arepa Zone, and Whisked!.
The first booth I approached was Bao Bros Bar, where co-founders Nelson Wong and Louis Grayson spoke about the rise in popularity of the bao, a traditional steamed bun that appears in a number of countries in East Asia. The two business partners, whose staged table included plastic food models, described their desire to sell a locally and organically sourced entrée-sized bao, with flavor combinations ranging from traditional and region-specific to varieties incorporating a fusion of flavors. Fillings such as pork, chicken, lamb, and vegetables are planned, in addition to sides such as lotus chips and taro fries.
Next up was Bene, an Italian “fine-casual dining” spot which would seek to bridge the gap between the quick-fired, relatively inexpensive world of fast-casual dining, and the slow and high-priced world of fine dining. This endeavor was presented by Mark Baik, Minji Suh and Jin Woo Park. Baik seemed prepared when asked how Bene would fit into a market in which Vapiano had already carved out a niche. He described Bene as being focused on hand-made pastas, where an emphasis would be placed on “developing flavors”, a task which could be accomplished by using slow-cooked meats and sauces, while still maintaining a fast-casual price range.
Half Smoke, whose name is derived from D.C.’s distinctive (and delicious) native tubesteak, is the project of Andre McCain, an investment analyst who has spent time working the line at several fast food/fast casual restaurants. McCain believes these experiences have helped to prepare him for the logistics of operating his own restaurant. His table included 3D renderings of a full-sized fast casual restaurant, detailed food and drink menus, and packets ready to be handed out to potential investors. Projected food options varied significantly, from a variety of signature sausages to make-your-own options which could be ordered as buns, bowls, flatbreads, or salads. Also described were sides such as tater tots and “Truffle Mac-N-Cheese Pops”, and desserts such as funnel cakes and house-made shakes.
Also present were the owners of Arepa Zone, the award-winning food truck which has been serving authentic Venezuelan favorites such as arepas, cachapas, and tequeños. Arepa Zone’s owners, Gabriela Febres and Ali Arellano, spoke about the success they’ve had with their food truck, which serves Virginia and D.C., and their desire to expand to a brick-and-mortar location. When asked about how being in Union Market would help their business, Febres said, “the truck has served as a thermometer to see if there’s a need for us”, and spoke about how having a booth in the market would allow them to bridge the gap between the truck and an independent restaurant. Febres and Arellano handed out sealed envelopes containing hand-written thank you notes, a business card, and a gift certificate for the truck with an undisclosed amount preloaded on to it.
Last but not least was Whisked!, a wholesale bakery whose products can be found at over twenty different stores and restaurants and four farmers markets. Owner Jenna Huntsberger stated that being in Union Market would allow her to move from a wholesale-only business to having control over her own sales space, and that being at the booth would likely involve sales only and no active baking. Huntsberger envisions selling pies, cookies, and quiche by the slice, and came to the event equipped with a number of individually wrapped milk chocolate nutella cookies to hand out as samples.
Present at the event was Mess Hall’s founder Al Goldberg, who stated to the crowd that the final phase of Launch Pad would occur on July 12th, when all five prospective businesses would provide food samples and defend their proposals in front of a voting audience and a panel of judges: Patrick O’Connell of The Inn at Little Washington, Aaron Silverman of Rose’s Luxury, Ris Lacoste of RIS, Drew Nieporent, owner of the Myriad Restaurant Group, investor David Hall, and Goldberg himself.
The winner will receive a six-to-twelve month lease at Union Market, a free membership to Mess Hall, the culinary incubator which has helped to launch businesses such as the award-winning Mason Dixie Biscuit Co., and a variety of other benefits, including mentorship and introductions to investors and restaurateurs from the D.C. area.