The Downtown Sacramento Foundation (DSF) announced Heather Wong owner of the Spice Station as the grand prize winner of the 2015 Calling All Dreamers competition.

Grand prize winner, Spice Station Sacramento, will receive a business start up package valued at $100,000. The Spice Station will be the first one-stop spice shop in Sacramento, offering a curated selection of spices, salts, teas, and proprietary house-made spice blends sourced from around the world. The shop will offer commonplace spices as well as obscure, hard-to-find ingredients. Spices will be sold whole or freshly ground in-house, making the shop a veritable candy store for foodies.

“Winning the Calling All Dreamers competition is a huge honor. By going through the process, I’ve learned a lot about what it takes to open a business and that our community is as excited to finally have a spice shop as I am to open one!” said Spice Station Sacramento owner and first time entrepreneur Heather Wong. “As a food enthusiast, I have always loved the fact that Sacramento is the farm to fork capital. The Spice Station will now allow everyone – from the novice home cook to the professional chef – to make the most of their ingredients by offering a wide array of fresh, unique and affordable flavors from around the world.”

The business was selected from a field of 33 contestants, ranging from a diverse mix of restaurant, retail, product and service concepts. Businesses were evaluated based on creativity, owner experience and passion, and the viability of the business and strength of the plan. During the competition, each semi-finalists was paired with their own personal SCORE counselor to refine their business plan. SCORE, Service Corp of Retired Executives, is a non-profit association dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals through education and mentorship.

“The Calling All Dreamers competition has been very successful in incubating business concepts. The program is only possible because of our many sponsors who provide funding and services – especially the team at SCORE that helps contestants produce business plans that maximize the chance of success. Over the past two years, seven of the finalists have gone on to open a storefront,” said Lloyd Harvego, DSF board chair. “We hope to replicate the success of previous years. Our team is committed to working with all of the finalists to help their dreams of opening a business downtown become a reality.”

Economic development and small business growth is a top priority for the Downtown Sacramento Partnership (DSP), a Property Based Improvement District (PBID) focused on Downtown Sacramento and sister organization to the DSF. Several years ago, the DSP dedicated a staff position to recruiting and retaining small businesses into the urban core.

“Each year, we are impressed by the caliber of business concepts submitted and this year was no exception,” said Valerie Mamone-Werder, DSP Sr. Manager of Business Development. “Ultimately, we selected Spice Station as the competition winner and believe that the shop not only compliments downtown’s unique retail mix, but also embodies Sacramento’s reputation as the Farm to Fork Capital.”

The Calling All Dreamers grand prize was specifically designed to provide the winner with the essential resources and tools needed to successfully open a business. The total prize package is valued at $100,000 and includes a cash prize of $10,000 in matching funds. The winner will receive assistance from MarketOne Builders, Inc. for space build out, advertising space in Inside Publications, brand strategy and social media strategy from Honey Agency, brand development and logo from MeringCarson, a year of free voice and internet service from Consolidated Communications, an interior design consultation from LJ2 Interiors, accounting consultations from Brown Fink Boyce & Astle LLP, legal services from the Smith, McDowell, & Powell, and printing services from T. Dogg Studios. The program was also made possible by the generous support from The City of Sacramento Economic Development Department, SMUD, Sacramento State, Wells Fargo and Colliers

Since its launch in 2013, the competition winners have created four full-time jobs and 15 part-time jobs and collectively have leased 5,200 square feet of retail space in the downtown core. The two winning businesses from 2013 – Andy’s Candy Apothecary and The Dailey Method, opened their doors in downtown in less than one year. The 2014 winner, Ana Apple, opened in March in Old Sacramento.

 

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