Cedar Rapids, IA- Thyme & Spice Co. of Burlington topped four other competitors in a statewide pitch contest in Cedar Rapids on Monday.
According to a news release, five small businesses from Main Street Iowa districts received $50,000 in state grants after successfully pitching their expansion ideas before a panel of judges as part of the final round of the Main Street Iowa Open 4 Business contest.
Travis and Ashlyn Long, who opened Thyme & Spice Co. in 2021, won a $20,000 grant to expand their modern version of a spice and tea shop.
They plan to use the money to introduce a refill program for their line of olive oils and vinegars. Customers can sample products before they buy, and empty bottles can be exchanged at the store for a discount on their next purchase.
“We love bringing new flavors to our community, but owning a small business is hard,” Ashlyn Long told the judges. “Big-box stores can’t offer you the type of experience we can.”
Of the 20 applicants in this year’s contest, 12 were invited to interview virtually with a panel of judges, who then selected five finalists.
On Monday, each finalist had five minutes to present their ideas to the following state-level judges:
Lisa Shimkat of America’s Small Business Development Center Iowa; Vada Grantham of Des Moines Area Community College; Kaitlin Byers of Kiva Iowa at Cedar Rapids’ NewBoCo; and Eric Meeter of Pressed, a hand-stamped and hammered jewelry boutique in Spencer and the 2020 Open 4 Business winner.
Open 4 Business supports growth and expansion of existing small businesses in the more than 50 Main Street Iowa communities. In the past decade, the program has awarded dollars to more than 45 businesses.
The grants are administered through IEDA’s Iowa Downtown Resource Center and Main Street Iowa programs.
