Tri-Cities Restaurant Resilience Program Begins June 1

From East Tennessee State University:

May 18, 2021

Tri-Cities area civic and business resource organizations, including the Tennessee Small Business Development Center, have partnered with Proof Incubator, a Tennessee-based accelerator and educational resource for food and beverage professionals, to launch a four-week course for restaurants impacted by COVID-19.

“Restaurant Resilience” will launch in June. This virtual course is for owners and operators of restaurants and foodservice businesses. It provides the tools and resources to help adjust restaurant business models in response to the global pandemic and customers’ changing needs and expectations.

“We are very excited to partner with Proof Incubator to bring this program to the Tri-Cities food and beverage community,” said Mark Bays, director of the TSBDC at East Tennessee State University. “This program provides a great opportunity for restaurant owners to take a deep dive into their businesses and further strengthen their foundation for future success.”

Topics covered will include navigating risks and regulations, managing menu and supply chain, optimizing marketing efforts and channels, employee management and more.

Space is limited but the program is free for participants thanks to scholarships funded by TSBDC and BrightBridge Capital. Those who sign up will have on-demand access to industry-focused content from industry experts, and each participant will have the opportunity to receive one-on-one coaching and access to industry and subject-matter experts, such as attorneys and accountants, while also obtaining tools and resources to navigate the road forward.

“Since successfully launching our Restaurant Recovery program elsewhere in the state earlier this year, we’ve been looking forward to making it available to our peers and friends in and around the Tri-Cities area,” said Proof Incubator co-founder, Michael Robinson. “So many restaurant professionals have been hit incredibly hard this year as a result of COVID-19, and we’re excited to get in the trenches and help as many of them as possible to navigate these tricky waters and emerge stronger.”

Interested restaurant professionals can learn more and apply at proofincubator.com/tri-cities. Applications must be submitted by May 28, and the kickoff webinar will be held June 1.

For more information about Proof Incubator, visit proofincubator.com or contact Tim Moore at 423-716-7207 or tim@proofincubator.com. To learn more about the TSBDC at ETSU, visit tsbdc.org or contact 423-439-8505 or Mbays@tsbdc.org.

This press release was produced by East Tennessee State University. The views expressed are the author's own.