Chef Pam’s Kitchen In Waukesha Wins $10K In Business Contest

WAUKESHA, WI—A Waukesha business took first place in a statewide business contest.

Twelve downtown businesses from Main Street and Connect Community programs from around the state are a little closer to launching their ideas after being named finalists in the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s first Downtown Pitch Contest, according to a news release.

Chef Pam’s Kitchen in downtown Waukesha, which placed first in the competition, will receive $10,000 toward the creation of a local foods retail space to complement its commercial kitchen and cooking school.

Since opening in 2019, Chef Pam’s Kitchen has become a hub for food artisans in the Waukesha area. In addition to offering a wide variety of cooking classes, events and other activities, the kitchen serves as a home base for food entrepreneurs who rent out commercial kitchen space to support their growing enterprises.

The new and expanded location will add space to grow each of these business segments, accommodate a new winter farmers’ market which can be housed in the space and offer a retail outlet for kitchen tenants

Stevens Point’s Sunset Point Winery and Osceola’s Wisconsin Milk House were also recognized as top three finalists, receiving $5,000 each. The remaining finalists will receive $1,500 each.

Existing businesses or would-be entrepreneurs from Wisconsin’s 35 Main Street and 77 Connect Community program districts were invited to submit their great ideas to the contest.

Finalists were selected from within each region in a competitive process based on the viability of their business concept, creativity and innovation of the concept and pitch materials, and the degree to which the business meets community needs and contributes to downtown vitality.

The finalists were:

• The Copper Pasty – Ashland
• Sunnyside Café – Black River Falls
• The Mercantile Business Space – Coloma
• Foundation Fitness & Nutrition – Darlington
• Midwest Woodturners – Ellsworth
• Gathered Roots – Fond du Lac
• Wisconsin Milk House – Osceola
• The Sweet Tooth – Prairie du Chien
• Wings of Fire Consulting – Racine
• Process General Store – Stevens Point
• Sunset Point Winery – Steven Point
• Chef Pam’s Kitchen – Waukesha