PEORIA, Ill. – An exotic eating experience is coming soon to downtown Peoria.
Businessman Andy Driscoll recently put a call out to local entrepreneurs with the Peoria Pitch Contest. 38 applied, and seven were chosen as finalists to start their business downtown with Driscoll’s help in the Maxim Building, which he owns.
On Monday, Driscoll announced the winner of the contest on WMBD’s “The Greg and Dan Show”.
“I was trying to attract an exciting entrepreneur with a creative idea, filling a niche of a cuisine type that isn’t in the downtown area already. Those were my main goals, and we hit a homerun,” Driscoll said.
The winner of the Peoria Pitch Contest is Bollywood Bites Bistro and Events Center. Irfan Mohammed plans to open the restaurant featuring Indian food sometime this fall.
“I wanted to bring something to Peoria that isn’t available…and this isn’t available anywhere in America. Bollywood Bites will be a place where not only people come to eat, but also for entertainment and light music,” Mohammed said.
Winning the contest, Mohammed will get 6 months free rent beginning August 1, a graduated gross lease amount that is substantially less than the current market rate with an elevating rent schedule through the initial 3 1/2 year term, as well as up front capital of $50,000 for the approved purchase of kitchen/bar equipment, kitchen wares, small wares, table wares, front of house seating/tables, lease security deposit and starting inventory.
Driscoll hopes to hold another round of the Peoria Pitch Contest, as a way to connect other Peoria landlords with open space with local entrepreneurs, including the other six finalists in the contest and others who applied.
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