theCO and Ford Philanthropy Announce Winners for ScaleUp Kitchen Program
Jackson, Tenn (September 23, 2025)- As ScaleUp Kitchen participants have completed the program, the Taste & Tell public event, and pitched their concepts to judges, 10 food entrepreneurs won prizes ranging from $10,000 to $1,500. The first place winner is GotDough Cookies & More located in Jackson, Tennessee.
“Our food and beverage entrepreneurs are bringing bold ideas to life across West Tennessee. Soon, we’ll see a bake shop opening in Mason, TN, new mobile carts and food trailers serving communities throughout the region, and a new food truck location in Drummonds, TN,” Lisa Tucker, program facilitator, said. “Through ScaleUp Kitchen, our mission is to equip local business owners with the education, tools and resources they need to turn their visions into reality while strengthening the regional economy. This cohort is well on its way to achieving financial success and building stronger, thriving food and beverage businesses that will make a lasting impact.”
The winners are as follows:
$10,000: GotDough Cookies & More, Jackson, Tenn.
$7,500: Chicago Jerk House, Bolivar, Tenn.
$7,500: Gourmet Your Way, Jackson, Tenn.
$7,500: Gylden Bake House, Jackson, Tenn.
$5,000: Blissful Boards, Jackson, Tenn.
$5,000: Divine Grille, Drummonds, Tenn.
$1,500: Chelle’s BBQ, Soulfood & More, Jackson, Tenn.
$1,500: Mocha Flava, Brownsville, Tenn.
$1,500: Symon'e Seafood Station, Jackson, Tenn.
$1,500: SugarSpoon, Mason, Tenn.
In addition to these winners, Divine Grille received the “Best Bite” award after the Taste & Tell public event, which was voted on by those in attendance.
The ScaleUp Kitchen program is focused on supporting food-based businesses to scale, prepare for regional procurement opportunities and enhance access to food in the growing region around BlueOval City. The free program provided a 4-day accelerator, one-to-one consulting, workshops, a food showcase and a pitch competition with substantial prizes aimed to empower entrepreneurs with resources and technical assistance for their next steps.
On September 18, ScaleUp participants showcased their food at the Taste & Tell event and pitched their ideas to a panel of judges the following day. The pitch competition featured a four-member judging panel comprised of marketing specialists, business development professionals, and local commercial lending experts. Participants were evaluated across eight key criteria: identifying the problem or need, presenting a clear solution, conducting industry and market analysis, defining their target audience, outlining their business model, demonstrating traction, showcasing scalability and feasibility, and overall investment attractiveness.
“I’m thrilled to see how these entrepreneurs use not only their prize winnings but even more so the knowledge and connections they’ve built through ScaleUp to expand their businesses,” Lisa Garner, CEO of theCO said.
