Support Calgary's Fresh-Made Maven

Vote for Alberta's finalist for the $100,000 BDC Young Entrepreneur Award

CALGARY, June 3, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) announced today that the turning-point project "Market Fresh," submitted by local businesswoman Vanessa Salopek, will represent Alberta in the finals for the 2015 BDC Young Entrepreneur Award.

Vanessa's project will help her company, MARKET Restaurant (Market Eatery Inc.), add a new kitchen space and retail storefront to keep up with demand for its homemade ingredients and signature food items. To claim the BDC Young Entrepreneur Award $100,000 grand prize and fund this project, Vanessa needs votes from Canadians from coast-to-coast.

Vanessa and her team are taking "market cuisine" to a whole new level. In addition to cooking with fresh, seasonal and local foods, MARKET also makes most of its ingredients in-house – even pickles, ketchup, soda syrups and chocolate bonbons. This wholesome, farm-to-table approach has really resonated with consumers. Line-ups to get a table often reach down the street, and the demand for their homemade products as retail items increases. Vanessa's existing kitchen just isn't big enough to keep up with growing demand.

"People care about where their food is coming from and they want to support local businesses that invest in their community," Vanessa says. "We are very fortunate to attract a broad guest following because we offer value without compromising quality and keep everything casual and fun."

This emphasis on accessibility and commitment to homemade ingredients has made for a legion of loyal and repeat customers and MARKET's kitchen, which includes a dozen chefs, is now bursting at the seams to keep up with demand.  To forge ahead and pave the way for expansion, Vanessa is ready to move the restaurant's butchery, bakery and preparation of homemade ingredients to different location that would also serve as a retail storefront. This would allow the restaurant to sell more retail items, cater more events, and keep seats filled, while also providing a major revenue boost to its bottom line.

"Each of this year's finalists has provided a compelling story about how their business stands at that crucial crossroads where the right mix of vision and action can secure future growth and success," says Michel Bergeron, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Public Affairs at BDC. "With her passion for market cuisine, Vanessa has tapped into a business model that supports local farmers and provides real value to consumers by giving them a wholesome alternative when dining out."

"It's very rare to find a restaurant so committed to being local that it home-makes practically everything customers will be served and retails its signature items so people can enjoy them in the comfort of their own home," Vanessa says. "Vote to help us stay on top of Calgary's restaurant scene and give our community more of what it wants. You'll be supporting us and the local producers we buy from."

Voting for the 2015 BDC Young Entrepreneur Award contest runs from June 3 to June 17. To support your favourite project, log onto the contest microsite and vote once a day. Follow the contest through updates on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Visit bdc.ca/awards to learn about other ways in which BDC recognizes Canadian entrepreneurs. The BDC Young Entrepreneur Award winner and runner-up will be announced on June 22. The runner-up will receive $25,000 in consulting services.

About the BDC Young Entrepreneur Award contest

Created by the Business Development Bank of Canada in 1988, the BDC Young Entrepreneur Award contest pays tribute to remarkable Canadian entrepreneurs between 18 and 35 years of age. Ten finalists were selected to compete for a $100,000 grand prize. A second prize of $25,000 in consulting services will be awarded to the contest runner-up. A national committee evaluates the quality of the finalist projects and gives each finalist a ranking that will be combined with the public vote. In 2015, the national committee evaluation is weighted to account for 50% of each project's final ranking, and the public vote will account for the remaining 50% of the ranking. www.bdc.ca/yea

About BDC

Canada's business development bank, BDC, puts entrepreneurs first. With almost 2,000 employees and more than 100 business centres across the country, BDC offers loans, consulting services, growth and business transition capital, securitization, as well as venture capital to more than 30,000 small and medium‑sized companies. Their success is vital to Canada's economic prosperity. To learn more, please visit www.bdc.ca

SOURCE Business Development Bank of Canada

Maria Constantinescu, Senior Advisor, Public Relations, BDC, [email protected], [phone]