Vancouver’s Downtown Association has announced the finalists for organization’s Downtown Vancouver Launchpad Program. Three finalists were revealed in a Facebook livestream event Friday afternoon: a grocery and deli concept called Main Street Market, a skincare and herbal tea shop concept called Natural Earth and Body and a restaurant concept called Scout Burger.
The Launchpad competition will provide a $40,000 community-sponsored grant to a new business concept that will fill one of the vacant storefronts in the downtown area. The program began with 32 applicants in February, and six semi-finalists were chosen by an independent selection panel and asked to spend the subsequent months fleshing out their business concepts.
The other semi-finalist concepts were a bakery called Blackbird Alchemy, a pet supply and grooming store called Civilized Wolf and a bar and arcade called Foxhole Cocktail Den.
Later this month, the finalists will each give a presentation before the panel in the style of the TV show Shark Tank, and the panel will then choose a winner. The goal is for the new business to open downtown by early 2021.
