A new community-rooted food retail incubator is coming to Birmingham.
Batter & Bloom aims to help early-stage food entrepreneurs and hospitality talent, grow, test and sustain brick-and-mortar businesses while expanding fresh food access in local neighborhoods.
The initiative is designed as a place-based economic development strategy to lower the barriers that keep small businesses from securing permanent retail space, particularly in under-resourced communities.
What Batter & Bloom brings to the table
Founded by Alycia Levels-Moore, Batter & Bloom operates as a front-door program within Vanguard Development Collective’s economic development ecosystem. The incubator functions as a regional food hub by connecting:
- Local farmers to local food businesses
- Food businesses to a trained hospitality workforce
- Families to fresh food
To support emerging concepts, the program offers accessible retail environments that reduce the financial risk of launching a physical location, alongside mentorship focused on business operations and technical assistance…