A new nonprofit, Hone, is on the way as a collaboration between Mill Village Ministries and restaurateur John Ko.
Hone is a restaurant incubator that will provide a training ground where business owners can test ideas and also receive mentoring in areas like budgeting, navigating real estate and the legal side of restaurant ownership.
“Too many people are opening really quickly and closing, which I hate to see,” Ko said.
Ko started Local Taco in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2008 and later sold the chain. He is also a board member for euphoria Greenville. In reflecting on his experience in the restaurant world, he wanted to create something that would foster support and community for future entrepreneurs. He wanted to launch the idea in the nonprofit sphere and was already volunteering with Village Launch’s Business Entrepreneur Academy, which runs a similar program.
“I had heard of Dan (Weidenbenner) and I heard he had a similar idea,” Ko began. “So we talked and kind of merged our ideas and it was the perfect fit for me, who’s never done a nonprofit to partner with …”
“And me, who’s never done a restaurant,” Weidenbenner finished.
The two scoured the U.S. for business models that were successful, landing in California’s Bay Area with La Cocina, which started in San Francisco’s Mission District in 2005.
Currently, Hone operates as a monthly workshop in the Mill Village office in West Greenville. The team is trying to gauge the needs of attendees and curate a supportive community. The target is to be able to propel Hone into a cohort program.
“Eventually, we’d love to maybe have a space where we could also host pop ups, or host a rental kitchen space or residency cooking classes,” Weidenbenner said.
Hone is still the process of raising funds. Those interested in attending can visit villagelaunch.org/hone.
