Small Business

Fresh, affordable Mexican arrives on Washtenaw with Maiz

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February 6, 2013

Three months doesn't sound like very long to develop and open a new restaurant, but for Maíz Mexican Cantina General Manager Jason Branham, the time between sitting down with building owner Demos Panos in November and opening the Washtenaw Avenue location in January was intense. "We put a lot of time and thought into it," says Branham. "It was difficult because a lot of people are saying that doesn't look Mexican. I want a place where people can bring their family to, but they can also have a nice date." The classy-meets-affordable Mexican restaurant came about after Branham's market research told him it was exactly what the area needed. "We looked at the demographics around here and found a large Hispanic community within a mile around us," he says. "Also, Don Carlos used to be located across the street, and it was recently mentioned as one of the most missed restaurants." So far, that information seems to be proving to be true. Branham says the biggest problem the 220-seat restaurant has had since opening January 21 is being too busy. Maíz opened with 26 employees, and Branham is already making plans to hire more. In addition to meeting demand, Branham says integral to the restaurant's business plan is providing fresh, local food at an affordable price. "Mexican has a lower food cost compared to a lot of different cuisine," says Branham. "So, from a business standpoint, that was appealing, but that doesn't mean we can't put out great food. 'Fresh, from scratch food for under $10' is the mantra." While Branham says they are currently not utilizing their freezer much at all, he's looking forward the spring and summer to have access to more local produce to serve, as well as freeze for use year round. As the largest Washtenaw Avenue establishment with a full bar between US-23 and Eastern Michigan University, Branham also hopes to attract nightlife patrons to Maíz. Source: Jason Branham, Maíz Mexican Cantina Writer: Natalie Burg, Development News Editor

Latest in Small Business

Ann Arborites’ MGoPatio makes biz out of Big House Saturdays

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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September 19, 2012

The garage renovation and patio addition that Martin and Katie Vloet planned for their Ann Arbor home was meant to be a space for the family to grow into and to share with family and friends. But being a little more than a football field away - about 130 yards - from Michigan Stadium the project went in another direction: From private oasis for a family of three to a football fans' paradise for rent. "As we started to do the work people picked up on it and said this is a nicer space than some of the spaces for rent. Several people said, "Would you be willing to rent the space?' We had to think about it for awhile" Martin Vloet says. "We came to the quick realization that giving up the space 6, or 8 times year is not a bad trade-off for help you pay off the renovation." They dubbed their backyard and garage MGoPatio and took the game day business concept up several notches, going from being a neighborhood spot for game-goers to park to a rentable party place for football games and other sports and campus events. MGoPatio covers 2,700 square feet altogether. There's a two-level garage with upstairs living space and a 1,500-square-foot patio, says Vloet, a photographer. And the bookings are coming in. There's been such demand that clients are hosting events even before a few loose ends of the renovation are tied up. Bosch hosted a party for the Sept. 8 game against Air Force. BP hung out for the Sept. 15 against U-Mass, and Sports Illustrated, which was the first booking, takes over MGoPatio for the Michigan-Michigan State game Oct. 20. Vloet, who with his wife bought the house knowing that football Saturdays would be a regular part of their lives, is excited about the prospects of working with corporate clients. "We're dealing with a nice clientele…and people you can trust to take good care of the place," he says. Source: Martin Vloet, owner MGoPatio Writer: Kim North Shine

Opening of Red Rock brings new flavor – and jobs – to downtown Ypsi

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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September 19, 2012

On the five-month anniversary of the opening of Red Rock Downtown BBQ in Ypsilanti the new restaurant in the center of town is a central attraction. Red Rock with its 500-pound smoker hanging out back and a slate of special events has caught on and is adding to the cool feel to Michigan Avenue - Ypsi's Main Street. Its pulled pork, in-house smoked bacon, St. Louis style ribs and its changing and changing selection of craft beers - 70 percent of them Michigan-made is pulling in customers and creating jobs and traffic for downtown Ypsi, and owner and manager Shawn Cool (great name,huh?) is grateful. "It's a lot of work, but it's great," says Cool, who's trying to make his investing partner parents proud. "Ypsi's been great to us." Red Rock employs 40 people, 30 of them full-time, says Cool. And the business has expanded into food vending at University of Michigan games. Red Rock Downtown BBQ is sold at the main gate, section 10 and in two spots on the club level, sections 3 and 4. This week Cool and the staff were adding a new walk-in cooler to keep up with demand. Source: Shawn Cool, owner, Red Rock Downtown BBQ Writer: Kim North Shine

The Atlantic magazine is looking for a few good start-ups

By Newsroom

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Entrepreneurship

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September 12, 2012

Entrepreneurs and economic development officials, be on the alert for a pair of enterprising reporters from The Atlantic magazine. Beginning next week, they're making a beeline for the Upper Midwest, and Ann Arbor is one of the cities where they're looking to find the region's brightest start-ups. Excerpt: "This year, we're starting the trip in Chicago and finishing up in Pittsburgh. Call it a Rust Belt Tour, if that's not a pejorative. If you're starting a business along this route (or even near it), we want to hear from you. While we're primarily interested in tech (very broadly construed), interesting entrepreneurs of all types should feel free to get in touch. And stay tuned because we're working on putting together a few events, so that we can meet as many people as possible. This year, we want to build maps of the startup scene in each city we visit. That means we want to map not just where startups have their offices, but also where they get coffees and beers and meetings and employees and money." Read the full story here. And check here for MLive's coverage.

Michigan eLab wrestles Silicon Valley for start-ups

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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August 8, 2012

How does Ann Arbor develop start-ups and keep the business that blossom from them? Michigan eLab is working to just that. Excerpt: "Stefanski -- who lives blocks away from downtown Palo Alto, the original home of many high-profile tech companies -- said he sees a promising start-up corridor growing between State Street and Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor. But to hasten the growth, he said, Ann Arbor would have to become more than just "one of the biggest exporters of talent through the country."" Read the rest here.

Richner & Richner of Ann Arbor positioned to be national player

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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July 25, 2012

A thriving Ann Arbor fundraising consulting firm has pulled together some heavy hitters as it prepares to expand and establish itself as a national player in the field of nonprofit fundraising. Richner & Richner, which is hiring staff as it takes on more work, has attracted William R. Johnston, former New York Stock Exchange president; Stephen B. Dobson, former president of insurance company Dobson-McOmber; and William C. Richardson, former president and CEO of W.K. Kellogg Foundation and former president of Johns Hopkins University toss erve as the inaugural board. Richner & Richner, which was formed in 1997, tailors sustainable fundraising strategies for non-profit organizations around the country by guiding them through the areas of strategy development, campaign planning, staff development and training, donor portfolio and relationship development, feasibility studies, planned giving program developments and program audits. “The formation of our national advisory board is a watershed moment in our 15-year history,” says Cedric Richner, an Ann Arbor resident and co-founder and principal of Richner & Richner. "The three board members will help accelerate our plans to grow nationally. The board members' combined experiences in their professions, in the non-profit sectors and with volunteerism will serve as a "catalyst for innovative thinking on how best to serve non-profit organizations interested in building true philanthropies ofculture through strategic fundraising." “Their counsel will challenge us to do more and be more on behalf of the client organizations we serve,” says Richner, who formed the company in his home with wife Mori Richner, both having come from development and fundraising backgrounds at the University of Michigan. Richner & Richner set up office space in Ann Arbor in 2002 and is now located downtown Ann Arbor office, where it is growing and adding to staff this year and next. Source: Cedric Richner, co-founder and principal, Richner & Richner Writer: Kim North Shine

Pure Visibility’s Catherine Juon strikes out on her own with Beyond Startup

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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July 11, 2012

For years, Catherine Juon has been known as half of the core team at Pure Visibility. Today she is known as the HWIC of her own company, Beyond Startup. Juon has been running and growing companies for 15 years, most recently at Pure Visibility, where she is leaving on good terms with co-founder Linda Girard. Beyond Startup will specialize in helping growing young companies hit their second stage in stride. "I would love to help businesses go through these growth stages and find these resources quicker than we did," Juon says. Juon has been a fan of Small Giants, a tome heralded for helping small businesses become great instead of just bigger. She hopes to help local companies grow in similar ways, and points to examples like Zingerman's as proof that it can happen. "They have grown organically by doing what felt right to them," Juon says. The Saline resident points out that many of the small business-building resources in the region are focused more on helping entrepreneurs take their first steps instead of learning how to run. She plans to make Beyond Startup about the latter stages that help businesses grow and hire, sometime exponentially. "A lot of the assistance out there is focused on the initial start-up stage," Juon says. "But there is a day when you grow enough that everything you set up at the beginning is more complicated." Source: Catherine Juon, founder of Beyond Startup Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

StartGarden Sows the Seeds of Entrepreneurship

By J. Bennett Rylah

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Economic Development

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May 2, 2012

From ArtPrize to the seed accelerator Momentum to the web business incubator Pomegranate Studios, Grand Rapids-based Rick Devos has created an impressive farm team of entrepreneurial enterprises focused on strengthening Michigan's economic ecosystem. His latest creation, StartGarden, gets both professionals and the public behind projects with the potential to blossom into successful businesses.

Stout Systems facilitates 39 new jobs in high-tech industries

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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May 2, 2012

Stout Systems has helped place 39 people in new tech jobs in Metro Detroit, helping make 2011 the best year for the Ann Arbor-based staffing firm. Stout Systems either finds technical people or sends its own techies out to its customers to get jobs done. These workers cover all technology aspects, ranging from IT to software development. The 19-year-old company currently has 35 people on its payroll and isn't having a problem finding places to put qualified technical talent to work. "The biggest demand on our company is filling all of the demand for technical talent," says John Stout, president & founder of Stout Systems. "I could triple the size of our company if there was enough technical talent to fill all of these roles." He adds that the Detroit market "has been pretty hot" lately, including in the automotive, manufacturing, government and medical industries. The company has also seen a demand for technical talent across the board from entry level to senior talent. "We have been seeing an influx of people right out of college," Stout says. "We have hired three in the last month." Source: John Stout, president & founder of Stout Systems Writer: Jon Zemke