DETROIT The first round of votes are in and after a tight race Hatch Detroit powered by TechTown has announced that five entrepreneurial teams will advance to the final stage of the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest, which includes another round of public voting and the opportunity to compete at Hatch Off on July 21. Additionally, final round voting will be extended through July 7.

“The public’s vote is critical in the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest. The people that are casting votes are the community members that will be patronizing and frequenting these businesses for years to come,” said Vittoria Katanski, executive director of Hatch Detroit. “Hatch Detroit prioritizes investing in Detroit’s small businesses by elevating entrepreneurs and giving them the counsel and resources needed to thrive in our community.”

This is the second time in the contest’s 10-year history that five businesses have been named finalists. In 2019, results for the fourth and fifth finalists was so close that the decision to include the top five vote getters in the final round was made for the first time in the history of the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest.

“It is exciting to see such a passionate response to these talented business owners and their retail concepts, and that is what helps drive the success of this contest”, Katanski said. “As a result,, it was best for all five finalists to have their chance to compete in both the final round of public voting and the Hatch Off since the difference between the fourth and fifth place semi-finalists was again so compellingly close.”

These rising entrepreneurs will go head-to-head to win the $100,000 grand prize from Comerica Bank as well as pro bono support and counsel from Hatch Detroit powered by TechTown to kickstart and open a brick-and-mortar business in Detroit, Hamtramck or Highland Park.

The five finalists now enter the final round of public voting and will have the opportunity to present their business plan in front of a live audience at the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest’s annual Hatch Off on Thursday, July 21.

The five finalists vying to take home $100,000 in this year’s Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest are:

  • COLFETARIE: a European dessert and pastry shop, specializing in Romanian desserts and pastries. Their goal is to bring together the cultures of Detroit and Romania, while offering a taste of Europe, right in the heart of Downtown Detroit, no passport needed!
  • Detroit Farm and Cider: a 4.9 acre commercial farm on Detroit’s West side with plans to build a cider mill and offer youth day camps and horseback riding classes.
  • Gajiza Dumplins: a dumpling shop that specializes in Asian style eats and handmade dumplings from scratch. The dumplings come in more than 30 flavors and range from traditional pork and shrimp Shumai to contemporary western style, including miso cheeseburger gyoza or goat cheese and leek. Their focus is based on Asian street food: fast and delicious.
  • Lily’s & Elise: a luxury tea lounge on the Avenue of Fashion whose primary focus is in the premium service of European-style afternoon and high tea with fresh pastries and small plates to accompany orders.
  • Little Liberia: an Afro fusion pop-up restaurant looking to find a permanent space to introduce Liberia’s rich multicultural cuisines to the people of Metro Detroit. They serve authentic Liberian dishes, a cuisine whose heritage is a mixture of African, Caribbean, and Antebellum-South African American influences.

To give the public extra time to cast their votes, the second round of voting has been extended until 12 a.m. on Friday, July 8. Individuals can cast their vote once every 24 hours online at www.hatchdetroit.com/vote.