Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner! Nash & Proper win 2019 Calling All Dreamers Competition.
(Nov. 20, 2019) – Downtown Sacramento Foundation (DSF) today announced that Nash & Proper is the winning idea of the 2019 Calling All Dreamers competition. Co-founders Cecil Rhodes II and Jake Bombard will receive a prize package valued at over $100,000, including in-kind services, $10,000 cash and lease negotiation support to open their first brick and mortar restaurant in downtown Sacramento.
“Nash & Proper brings a delicious twist to an otherwise traditional chicken sandwich,” said Valerie Mamone, Business Development Senior Manager of Downtown Sacramento Partnership. “Watching Cecil and Jake’s dream come to life first hand has been an exciting experience. Their brand has had a strong cult-following and we are thrilled to see their dream become a reality in downtown.”
Meet Nash & Proper: Sacramento-born chef and co-owner Cecil L. Rhodes II have always dreamed of evolving their popular Nash & Proper food trucks into Sacramento’s first brick and mortar restaurant focusing on hot chicken, a fiery fried variety inspired by Nashville’s famous flavor. They take pride on initiating their own spin on the iconic dish that will leave you craving more.
“Winning the Calling All Dreamers competition is just the beginning of Nash & Proper’s new journey,” said Cecil Rhodes II, founder and co-owner of Nash & Proper. “Thank you to Downtown Sacramento Partnership and SCORE for all the support and for giving me the tools to push our business to the next level.”
“To watch Nash & Proper grow from an idea in our heads into what it has become has been amazing,” continued Jake Bombard, co-owner of Nash & Proper.
Currently in lease negotiations for a downtown location on The Kay, Rhodes and Bombard will continue working with SCORE mentors and competition sponsors to bring their dream for Nash & Proper to reality. Watch the pair’s pitch video and learn more about their prize package at www.CallingAllDreamers.org
Since 2013, Calling All Dreamers has continued to drive economic growth in the heart of the Sacramento region. In the six years since the program’s inception, Calling All Dreamers has helped to launch 25 businesses, created 30 full-time and 74 part-time jobs and lease more than 29,000 square feet in retail space. Other 2019 competition finalists, Leash and Collar, Cerealism, Co-Creations House of Art, and The Spottery will continue to receive support from the Downtown Sacramento Foundation to encourage them to bring their dreams to reality in downtown storefronts.
“We are proudly working alongside the finalists to help them find prime locations in downtown, many are working towards having permanent storefronts while others are looking to partner with downtown retailers for in-store pop-ups,” continued Mamone.
The 2019 Calling All Dreamers competition is produced by Downtown Sacramento Partnership and made possible by the generous support of the following program sponsors: Kaiser Permanente, SCORE, City of Sacramento, Wells Fargo, SMUD, Marquee Media and more. The prize package is made possible with the support of sponsors who continue to be champions for the economic growth of the downtown core: MeringCarson, L2J Interiors, SMP Law Corp and more.
Join the conversation on social media using #CallingAllDreamers and #DowntownSac.
Press Contact: Emily Penrod Assets: Click here for logos, photos and videos
[email protected] Photo Credits: Downtown Sacramento Partnership
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