Barclays US Consumer Bank today announced Frank Gourmet Hot Dogs as the winner of its “Small Business Big Wins” promotion and the recipient of a $50,000 grand prize.
The Buffalo, New York, restaurant is known for its custom brand of signature hot dogs. It edged out nine other finalists in a nationwide vote to determine which United States-based small business would receive a much-needed financial boost at the end of an unprecedented year.
Through essays and photos, almost 3,000 small businesses from all 50 states shared their stories of determination, perseverance and creativity through the “Small Business Big Wins” promotion presented by Barclays.
The top 10 were selected and showcased online at www.smallbizbigwins.com for a public voting period that took place Dec. 4-14.
The grand prize winner, Frank Gourmet Hot Dogs, was converted into a war room and commissary kitchen focused solely on feeding New York-area doctors, nurses, and frontline medical professionals at local area hospitals as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold.
“The small business community has suffered so many devastating blows over the course of 2020,” said Nancy Parnella, Director of US Business Cards at Barclays. “At Barclays, we understand that small businesses are the economic and cultural heart of their communities. This contest is our way of helping those businesses and in turn each of their respective communities.”
The contest was sponsored by Barclays’ Business Card team, which has long supported business owners of all sizes with its broad range of cards that offer business owners rewards for dollars spent on their business needs. The program was run by Barclays in partnership with Mastercard.
In addition to the $50,000 grand prize, Barclays awarded $25,000 to Pot au Feu Restaurant in Providence, R.I. for second place; $15,000 to Owego Restaurant in Owego, N.Y. for third place and $5,000 for each of the remaining finalists in the top 10.
Barclays has also awarded 50 participants of the contest $1,000 each through a random drawing, totaling $175,000 in support for 60 small businesses across the country.
“Things like this never happen to my brother [Frank] and I,” said Paul Tripi, co-owner of Frank Gourmet Hot Dogs. “We’re blessed to have had the opportunity, and we’re thankful for everyone involved.”
In addition to the grand prize winner, the finalists include:
- Pot au Feu Restaurant – Providence, Rhode Island ($25,000): From serving 2,000 frontline caregivers meals to hosting online fundraisers, Pot au Feu Restaurant has kept pivoting and innovating to survive to see its 50th year in business.
- The Owego Kitchen – Owego, New York ($15,000): Forced to lay off employees due to the pandemic, the owners turned The Owego Kitchen into a community hub, serving free meals to those hit hardest by the pandemic.
- Competitive Edge Tech Training, LLC – New York City ($5,000): Provides technology education and training to non-profits and corporations and bridges the digital divide for underserved communities including domestic violence survivors, disenfranchised youth, and post-incarceration adults.
- Flourish Bakery – Salt Lake City, Utah ($5,000): The social enterprise and small business operated by the nonprofit Flourish Ventures, which offers a paid internship and training program in the art of professional baking to individuals with a history of incarceration and in recovery from substance use.
- Monkeypod Jam – Lawai, Hawaii ($5,000): When this Hawaiian restaurant suffered like the rest of the state due to declines in travel and tourism, the owners pivoted to selling prepared produce boxes to Kauai families and delivering lunches to local businesses.
- Montana Drive-In – Estill Springs, Tennessee ($5,000): Operates several theatres and drive-ins that have been hurt by the lack of new film releases, which has caused the company to pivot to other on-site events that are staged in a way to address ongoing health concerns.
- The Pasta Tree Restaurant & Wine Bar – Milwaukee, Wisconsin ($5,000): Hit particularly hard by delayed relief funds, The Pasta Tree Restaurant & Wine Bar has not backed down, supplying thousands of meals to the unemployed and people in need and starting in-house packaging of their sauces, homemade pasta, bread and pesto.
- Urban Youth Impact – West Palm Beach, Florida ($5,000): An organization that provides a continuum of services in literacy, leadership and religious studies to inner-city youth in Florida and has pursued alternative learning tactics including curbside tutoring and online learning.
- Valentino’s Workshop – Baltimore, Maryland ($5,000): A tutoring company that works to serve underserved communities and children across the United States whose dedication to its students has provided tutoring, technology and scholarships for area families.
For more information about the finalists, visit smallbizbigwins.com. For more information on Barclays’ business card offerings, visit cards.barclaycardus.com.
About Barclays
Barclays US Consumer Bank is one of the fastest-growing top 10 credit card issuers in the United States. The bank creates customized, co-branded credit card programs for some of the country’s most successful travel, entertainment, retail and affinity institutions, and offers its own branded online savings accounts and CDs. For more information, please visit www.BarclaysUS.com.
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