The ScaleUp Kitchen program is focused on supporting food-based businesses to scale, prepare for regional procurement opportunities and enhance access to food in the growing region around BlueOval City. The free program provides a 4-day accelerator, one-to-one consulting, workshops, a food showcase, and a pitch competition with substantial prizes aiming to empower 20 entrepreneurs with resources and technical assistance for their next steps.
Powered by Ford Philanthropy and facilitated by theCO, ScaleUp Kitchen is a business development program aimed at supporting food entrepreneurs in Fayette, Hardeman, Haywood, Madison, and Tipton counties. ScaleUp Kitchen’s programming will help entrepreneurs improve kitchen and business operations, increase profitability, and maximize sales.
Program facilitator, Lisa Tucker, a Memphis native, is a passionate foodie and foodpreneur with expertise in the food and beverage industry. She serves as the chief business coach and consultant for retail programming at Epicenter Memphis. Starting her career with Burger King Corporation, she’s helped restaurants and food and beverage companies connect with their customers, nail their messaging strategy, and scale to win throughout the years.
Most recently, she co-created and delivered City Tasting Box to the marketplace. In just two years, Lisa has doubled her company's revenue and garnered national attention with features in major publications to include, Forbes, Black Enterprise, Bossip, and Thrillist.
Lisa holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Christian Brothers University in Memphis, TN, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management degree from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI. Additionally, she’s earned several certificates in Digital Marketing, Public Relations & Media, and Brand Communications.
ScaleUp Kitchen is a game-changer for food entrepreneurs in West Tennessee. This free program is designed specifically for restaurants, food trucks, caterers, and bakeries to help them grow their businesses, boost profits, and thrive in a competitive market. Program participants should plan to invest approximately 4-6 hours each week May-September working on their business, this includes scheduled events, coaching time, and independently working.
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A four-day intensive digital training covering sales development, menu pricing, financial management, and operations. Participants gain actionable insights from expert-led sessions.
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Hands-on learning tailored to your business stage with topics like social media marketing, inventory management, menu pricing, and HR protocols. These 12 two-hour sessions are designed to deliver immediate strategies you can implement. Participants aren’t required to attend all, but they will need to participate in 6 out of 12 to be eligible to participate in the Food Showcase and Pitch Competition.
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Custom growth plans focused on sales, profitability, and operations goals—keeping you aligned with your business objectives.
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Participants that complete the accelerator will be awarded a $500 technical assistance stipend for tools such as pitch deck creation, professional photography, website updates, and digital subscriptions. Participants invited to participate in the Food Showcase will receive a $500 stipend to cover costs for the showcase event (food, labor, decor).
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Valued at $75/ month utilize the co-working space as an office away from your business for deep focus sessions, etc. Utilize the makerspace to update signage, etc.
ScaleUp Showcase
The program participants present their businesses to potential customers, investors, and community stakeholders—boosting visibility and connections.
ScaleUp Pitch Competition
The participants compete for cash prizes up to $10,000 based on your business stage. Up to 8 winners will share $50,000 total.
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Start Tier:
Businesses under 2 years old with <$100K revenue. Focus: Build foundations and double sales in 12-18 months.
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Grow Tier:
Businesses 18+ months old with >$200K revenue. Focus: Team development and boosting profitability.
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Build Tier:
Established businesses with >$500K revenue. Focus: Strategic growth and expansion.
APRIL:
Ask Me Anything events will be hosted virtually on April 17 and April 28.
MAY:
The application deadline is May 5 and participants will be notified on May 9. The Virtual Accelerator will take place May 19–22.
JUNE - JULY:
We’ll host 12 workshops and digital sessions on Mondays, with both morning and evening options available.
AUGUST:
Two sessions will focus on pitch coaching, and two additional sessions will offer pitch practice opportunities—dates to be announced.
SEPTEMBER:
The Food Showcase (public event) and Pitch Day (private event) will be held tentatively on September 18 and 19.
Join us for an informal virtual session designed for food-based entrepreneurs to learn more about the program. Drop in, ask questions, and connect with our team to see how ScaleUp Kitchen can support your business goals.
