Business Spotlights Blog Posts

Johnson’s independent children’s bookstore is seriously thriving, and now, thanks to a $10,000 opportunity grant from Merchant Maverick, she can continue following her small business dreams and building her bookstore.

Merchant Maverick Opportunity Grant winner Huijuan Guo’s food truck, MOMO noodle, is famous for Bàn Miàn, a spicy dry-stirred noodle dish. Recently, we sat down with Huijuan to hear more about her inspiration and dreams for MOMO noodle.

Owner Jinah Kim has three passions: food, community engagement, and immigrant empowerment! Sunhee’s Farm and Kitchen, located in upstate New York, offers up a farm-to-table dining experience. In addition to their exceptional Korean cuisine, Sunhee’s also has a Kimchi Klub, sending regional fare and seasonal kimchi flavors nationwide.

Merchant Maverick Opportunity Grant winner Jacqueline Nguyen owns Cafe Cà Phê, a unique mobile Vietnamese coffee shop, which serves up specialty drinks, including classic Vietnamese iced coffee. In June, we sat down with Jacqueline to talk about her vision for Cafe Cà Phê and how it all got started.

Autumn Court’s dining room is still closed due to pandemic safety concerns, but you can order online for delivery or pickup. You can order via the Autumn Court website or follow the company on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

This year, the Merchant Maverick Opportunity Grant Program gave a total of $100K to Americans of Asian and Pacific Island descent, via 10 separate grants of $10K each. One of these grants was awarded to Folk, a gourmet Market and Cafe housed in the historic neighborhood of Corktown, Detroit. Thanks to its focus on from-scratch meals with ethically and locally sourced ingredients, Folk has developed a wide and loyal fan base and is now expanding into curated gift boxes and catering services.

Recently, Merchant Maverick sat down with $10K Opportunity Grant winner, Chef Joseph Fontelera, to discuss how his business has been faring since he received the grant money. Read on to learn more about Boonie Foods and its dual mission to introduce the delicious universe of Filipino cuisine to people who have never experienced those flavors before — and to be a taste of home for Filipino expatriates.

Shelley and Eric Arndt grew their business in 2020 amid a pandemic and historic wildfires with strength, dedication, and the help of their local chamber of commerce.

Lauren and Ronn Grewber turned their sustainability passion project into a thriving short-term rental business in North Park, San Diego.

Both a woman-owned and veteran-owned business, Gregg and Katie DuFort are examples of a successful COVID-pivot with their outdoor-based escape room business.