Craig’s Coffee Receives a $50k Motor City Match Award
I am proud to announce that Craig's Coffee was recently awarded a $50,000 grant from Motor City Match! Last Tuesday, August 30th, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Motor City Match announced the program’s Round 20 awards to Craig’s Coffee and 19 other amazing small businesses opening in Detroit. The money from Motor City Match will be used to help finance the build out of the roastery at 412 Peterboro St. Check out a video walk through of the final design below!
How Motor City Match Works
Motor City Match was founded in 2015 to help start new, permanent businesses and expand existing businesses in Detroit’s commercial corridors by providing tailored assistance throughout the launch and growth process. Every year there are a few rounds of funding that are awarded.
This round of Motor City Match included 20 grants totaling $1 million dollars to entrepreneurs looking to bring their dream of opening a business in Detroit a reality. This doubles the size of the grant pool and increase of funding from $500,000 in grants every quarter to $1 million dollars.
The $50,000 I received for Craig’s Coffee will be used to help build out the roastery at 412 Peterboro St., specifically with some of the metal work and mill work that is required to house necessary utilities, provide functionality for the production space, and add some design.
Over the last 4 years, I’ve applied for Motor City Match 3 times (4 if you count an incomplete application for the design track). It’s been a very challenging process, but it has certainly been worth it. Each round of applications I learned how to be a better business owner and how to better navigate my new business. The application process requires profit and loss statements, balance sheets, cost projections, building schedule.. and that’s only the tip of the iceberg! I had to show how Craig’s Coffee was going to be beneficial to the City of Detroit and why Craig’s Coffee needs additional funding. With each application to Motor City Match, I was able to refine my business model, re-develop my business plan, overhaul the design of the roastery, and compress my budget in order to make Craig’s Coffee a feasible business venture. It was a rigorous process that made me more conscience of my business and why I started my own coffee company in the first place. And throughout all of it, I never forgot my love for coffee! I didn’t start this coffee company to make money. Obviously I need to make money to live. But I started this company in order to share a piece of what I love with the city I live in. I also started it in order to provide starting business owners a chance to start their own food and coffee business. The entire goal for Craig’s Coffee is to operate a functional coffee roastery and coffee bar + allow other coffee and food businesses the opportunity to use Craig’s Coffee facility to grow their business.
Are You Looking to Open Your Own Brick and Mortar?
If you’re an individual or a business looking for help, advice, or guidance in applying for future Motor City Match awards, please reach out to me! I'd be more than glad to work with folks who are looking to start their own brick and mortar business. Like I mentioned above, I applied to Motor City Match three times before I received an award. And many businesses apply even more times than that! I’d love to work with you and help you with your application.
Motor City Match also has different levels of funding and assistance, starting with planning and developing your business, to design, cash awards for build outs, and financial assistance to restore building. So if you’re looking to start a business, I’d highly recommend looking into the Motor City Match program. I learned A TON over the course of 3 years and submitting applications for funding.
Construction is starting soon at 412 Peterboro St., and we are looking to have a soft open towards the end of October / beginning of November. Stay tuned to our social media for updates. Or sign up for the newsletter below for more up-to-date details (and occasional discounts!)
- Craig