NYC's Mercantile Mayhem: Opportunities Hither and Yon—Dining Sheds, Momo, CPGs & Tech in Helsinki
A newsletter about the survival of independent businesses in New York City with a focus on immigrant-owned, storefront retail and CPG enterprises.
RE-PLY OFFERING A FREE 3D SCAN AND SITE PLAN FOR NYC DINING SHEDS
The deadline to submit a Dining Out NYC application for New York City’s dining sheds is August 3, 2024. Dining sheds are controversial, many residents don’t like them because they take up parking spaces and/or attract rats, but I think they add a vibrancy to the streets. The gross dining sheds that have gone derelict and used as storage units—Lord only knows what living underneath—are eventually demolished.
If your establishment has or wants a dining shed you might be eligible for a free 3D scan and site plan, compliments of Re-Ply, an initiative launched by BVN, an architectural design firm based in Australia with a New York City office. They launched Re-Ply in the summer of 2020 as restaurants inched towards reopening after the eerie, surreal period when nearly every storefront (at least in my neighborhood) was boarded up with plywood due to the pandemic closures and subsequent looting.
Plywood sheets were being pried off storefronts and discarded. Most were decorated with outstanding graffiti or layers of posters with historic significance, depicting aspects of the pandemic, the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement.
As if someone read my mind, I started to see notices from Re-Ply taped up all around Soho asking for discarded plywood that they would pick up, which they repurposed into genius dining sheds and furniture. I met the Re-Ply crew in late June of 2020 when they worked on outdoor furniture for Chef Cédric Vongerichten’s restaurant Wayan.
Dining sheds have since evolved into a formalized city program over the years with regulations. Re-Ply is still constructing dining sheds for restaurants in New York City, they are quite sleek and modular. Re-Ply will create a free 3D scan and site plan for restaurants for those who are eligible, apply here.
MOMO CRAWL 2024: MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR SEPTEMBER 15, 2024
Another brief reminder that this year’s Momo Crawl is on September 15, 2024. I wrote about it in a previous Mercantile Mayhem newsletter. Thirty or so momo establishments around Diversity Plaza in Jackson Heights, Queens, will be steaming up their best momo. Momo Crawl participants eat and later vote for the best momo eatery, which might be a cart, food truck or restaurant.
For more information, follow the Momo Crawl’s Instagram. I’m proud to say that Mercantile Mayhem’s sponsor Accompany Capital, is also a Momo Crawl supporter! All Momo Crawl proceeds go to Students for a Free Tibet.
THREE STARTUP CPG OPPORTUNITIES: BEVERAGES AT WHOLE FOODS, A NEW FINANCING DATABASE AND EXPAND YOUR BRAND
Startup CPG is a warm, supportive community of CPG (consumer packaged goods) founders and those who might identify as CPG-adjacent—designers, food scientists, brokers, consultants, distributors, buyers, shop owners, etc.
Its CEO and founder Daniel Scharff has created a robust network for emerging brands, from physical meetups, I wrote about one in NYC, to a Slack channel and a free CPG press release service. Startup CPG had its own section and events at the recent Fancy Food Show. These parties, events and perks are open to Startup CPG members, it’s free to become a member if you work in the CPG world, sign up here.
Startup CPG has opportunities for emerging brands, here are three:
1. Calling all emerging beverage brands! On July 24, 2024 at 5pm ET, George Daines, formerly of Whole Foods, will lead a free webinar about beverages at Whole Foods. Daines now works at Cultivate supporting brands that sell to Whole Foods and will give some tips on how to do business with Whole Foods, ideally to get on the shelf and grow. Register here.
2. Daniel Scharff and Daniel Taylor of Bags, a financial management platform, will review Startup CPG’s new list of 60 non-dilutive lenders in the CPG arena on July 25, 2024, 3 - 4pm ET. Scharff and Taylor will explain how to best use the database during this online event, as well as basic loan types and how to evaluate a lending parter. Sign up here.
3. Retail merchandiser Basemakers is launching a new brokerage arm to its repertoire of services. To celebrate, Basemakers is partnering with Startup CPG to give away 6 free months of services to five emerging CPG brands. To enter your brand for consideration, you have to be on the Startup CPG’s Slack and then look in “announcements”. Due date is July 26, 2024.
FINN-O-PHILE TECH ALERT: VISIT HELSINKI AND ATTEND SLUSH NOVEMBER 2024
Helsinki is gorgeous the fall, don’t believe the naysayers that it’s bleak and grey. But I would say would say it’s the most content country, not the “happiest”, I agree with Penelope Colston who wrote about it for the New York Times. But if you are a startup founder or cofounder and want to experience Helsinki’s startup ecosystem for a week and attend the celebrated Slush tech extravaganza, read on.
Founders to Finland—Slush Edition, is a 7-day program for established startup founders from all over the globe who are curious about expanding to Finland and possibly beyond. This program is geared for founders who have completed Series B or C funding.
The 7-day program in Helsinki runs November 18 - 23, 2024 and includes a free pass to Slush, a 2-day tech event. However, participants need to cover all other expenses—airfare, hotel and food. I attended Slush in 2014 and I was thrilled to listen to conductor and composer Esa-Pekka Salonen, Finland’s current president Alexander Stubb and scores of founders.
The deadline for Founders to Finland—Slush Edition is August 8, 2024, read more about the program and apply here.
But wait, there’s more.
For the investors in the house, there is also a 7-day Venture Nordics Program geared for VCs and LPs who want to explore investment opportunities in Finland and beyond. The program runs November 15 - 21, 2024 and includes all sorts of meet and greets with founders, VCs and LPs, culminating with a free ticket to Slush. Participants must pay for all other costs: airfare, hotel and food.
The deadline for Ventures Nordic is August 18, 2024, read more about the program and apply here.
Both of these programs are made possible by Helsinki Partners, Helsinki’s marketing, investment and talent attraction company. In the future I will write about their 90 Day Finn Program.
MERCANTILE MAYHEM NEWSLETTER SPONSORSHIP
Yes, the rumors are true. I am still looking for two additional sponsors—individuals, businesses, organizations or foundations—who believe that the survival of independent businesses is essential to New York City (and other cities, towns, rural areas, I might add). Sponsors, like the extraordinary Accompany Capital get a footer banner in the newsletter, which is viewed by all sorts of brilliant people in various sectors. If you would like to know the newsletter rates (a month costs what a CEO might pay for one business lunch) and stats, please contact me: ninarobertsnyc@gmail.com and I’ll send you the details. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to others, especially that eccentric gazillionaire auntie who supports independent businesses.
Some of you have paid for subscriptions via Substack, thaaaaaaank you so much!
THE HISTORY OF CDFIs PART 2: Will have to wait until next week.
MINI OPPORTUNITIES
1. NYU-Yale Summer Accelerator Pitchoff
July 26, 5pm to 7pm, there will be a pitch competition between six seed-stage startups, three from NYU and three from Yale. Panelists include: Chika Ogele of Newark Venture Partners, Justin Silver, founder of AAVRANI and Christine Hong, Investment Manager at Techstars. Event details here.
Nina continues with her excellent newsletter, full of interesting and useful information.