Dec 11, 2009

Mentoring business: Entrepreneurs start incubators to mentor othersBy Mark SanchezMLive.com

If all goes according to plan, Greg Gilmore hopes to have a new entertainment destination open within three years that would also provide prospective restaurateurs a place to learn and get a foothold in the business.

A $5 million expansion of The B.O.B. in downtown Grand Rapids that Gilmore is planning includes incubator space where entrepreneurs would literally start at the ground level and have an opportunity to work their way up.

“I’ve always wanted to help managers and chefs if they wanted to do something,” Gilmore said as he showed off plans for the creation of what for now is called “BOB-ville” adjacent to The B.O.B.

The idea is to create a “a food emporium, in a lot of respects” that’s built around a large, multi-story plaza that could host events such as concerts or large receptions, even a farmer’s market on weekends.

Around the perimeter of the complex he would have assortment of spaces for food operators.

Gilmore envisions having about half of the spaces in the complex run by 15 to 25 would-be restaurateurs who would start out by operating a food wagon or cart. Once they prove themselves, they could move up to a kiosk, and eventually into their own small restaurant space upstairs.

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