ScaleUp Kitchen Applications Open for the Second Year in a Row
Jackson, Tenn. (April 10, 2025): Starting April 10, 2025-May 5, 2025, applications are open for ScaleUp Kitchen, a business development program aimed at supporting food entrepreneurs, which is powered by Ford Philanthropy and facilitated by theCO. ScaleUp Kitchen’s programming will help entrepreneurs in Fayette, Hardeman, Haywood, Madson, and Tipton counties improve kitchen and business operations, increase profitability, and maximize sales.
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.
“We're thrilled to be able to offer ScaleUp again-- this time with the addition of community workshops as well,” Lisa Garner, CEO of theCO, said. “This is a unique opportunity for restaurant owners, food truck operators and other food entrepreneurs to get local access to top notch mentors and resources. We're so thankful to Ford Philanthropy for funding this program again.”
To apply, you must meet one of these requirements:
Start Tier: Businesses under 2 years old with <$100K revenue. Focus: Build foundations and double sales in 12-18 months.
Grow Tier: Businesses 18+ months old with >$200K revenue. Focus: Team development and boosting profitability.
Build Tier: Established businesses with >$500K revenue. Focus: Strategic growth and expansion.
Program facilitator Lisa Brown, 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.
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. ScaleUp Kitchen will offer:
Accelerator Program:
A four-day intensive digital training covering sales development, menu pricing, financial management, and operations. Participants gain actionable insights from expert-led sessions.Workshops & Digital Sessions:
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.Individualized Action Plans:
Custom growth plans focused on sales, profitability, and operations goals—keeping you aligned with your business objectives.Stipends for success:
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).Access to workspace and makerspace at theCO:
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.
The program will conclude with a ScaleUp Showcase where the program participants present their businesses to potential customers, investors, and community stakeholders—boosting visibility and connections. This will be followed with a ScaleUp Pitch Competition, where participants compete for cash prizes up to $10,000 based on your business stage and up to 8 winners will share $50,000 total.
theCO will host two “As Me Anything” events on April 17 and 28. These are virtual sessions to ask any questions you have related to the ScaleUp Kitchen programs. To register for these, visit attheco.com/scaleup.
To apply and learn more about ScaleUp Kitchen, visit attheco.com/scaleup.
