Momentum Coffee, BUILD Chicago, Austin Grown, and local culinary leaders invite the community to celebrate eight neighborhood food businesses at the Build Momentum Food Business Showcase on Chicago's West Side.

CHICAGO, IL

Great food can open a business. Knowing how to run one is what helps keep it open.

Every year, talented food entrepreneurs launch businesses with passion, determination, and great products. Yet too many never make it beyond their first few years and it’s not because they can't cook, but because running a successful food business requires knowing far more than what's on the menu. That reality inspired the Build Momentum Food Business Incubator, a practical 12-week program created through a partnership between Momentum Coffee, BUILD Chicago, Austin Grown, Chef Tiffany Williams-Jenkins, and Chef Sabre Tyler-Abdullah.

Unlike traditional incubator programs that often focus on launching a business, the Build Momentum Food Business Incubator was intentionally designed for entrepreneurs who are already in business on Chicago’s South and West Sides. The program goes beyond business plans and profit-and-loss statements to focus on the day-to-day realities of operating a successful food business. Participants work through food costing, pricing strategies, licensing, commercial kitchen operations, sourcing, compliance, and the systems that help businesses grow stronger and remain sustainable. Our goal wasn't to create more businesses, said Nikki Bravo, Co-Founder of Momentum Coffee. Our goal is to help more businesses stay in business. We've learned that success isn't just about having a great product; it also requires you to understand the business behind the product. Instead of guarding what we've learned, we chose to open our playbook so other business owners can avoid some of the challenges that cause promising businesses to close.

The program is taught by experienced business owners and culinary professionals who understand the realities of operating food businesses because they are actively doing it themselves. Chef Tiffany Williams-Jenkins, who has worked with numerous food incubator programs throughout her career, helped shape a curriculum focused on practical application, believing entrepreneurs deserve more than theory they deserve tools they can use immediately. Participants also explored opportunities to strengthen Chicago's local food ecosystem through Austin Grown, connecting food entrepreneurs with locally grown ingredients and encouraging a farm-to-table approach that supports neighborhood businesses from production through preparation.

On Wednesday, August 19, the community is invited to experience the results during the BUILD Momentum Food Business Showcase at BUILD Chicago, 5100 W. Harrison Street, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. From 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., guests will meet eight participating food businesses, sample their products, and hear the stories behind their entrepreneurial journeys. From 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., the evening will transition into a graduation celebration recognizing the completion of the 12-week program and the commitment each business owner has made to building a stronger future.

The Build Momentum Food Business Incubator was made possible through the support of Builders Initiative Fund at The Chicago Community Foundation, whose investment expanded opportunities for neighborhood entrepreneurs while creating a new position dedicated to supporting small business development and strengthening Chicago's West Side food economy.

For Momentum Coffee, the showcase represents more than the conclusion of a program. It is a celebration of collaboration over competition, practical education over theory, and a shared belief that stronger small businesses create stronger neighborhoods.

Event Details

BUILD Momentum Food Business Showcase

Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Food Showcase & Tastings: 4:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Graduation Celebration: 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Location: BUILD Chicago, 5100 W. Harrison Street, Chicago, IL

Admission: Free and open to the public.