Red Wing Downtown Main Street is thrilled to announce the 2024 Retail Restaurant Challenge winners, an entrepreneurial start-up competition designed to spur economic growth and fill vacancies in our historic downtown and West End Districts.
This year’s challenge, sponsored by Musty-Barnhart Agency, Merchants Bank, and the Red Wing Credit Union, received fourteen initial applications in phase one and nine business plans in phase two.
In phase three, three participants were invited to pitch their ideas to the judging panel. Two were awarded grants.
Karna Pettit will be taking over Hallstrom's Florist & Sweet Shoppe location with her new venture, Riverbend Floral Studio, bringing a fresh and innovative approach to the local floral industry.
Michelle Tracy from The Creative Hand received a grant to expand her business to include a unique Trucker Hat Bar, adding an experiential retail component that promises to attract both locals and visitors.