Local restaurant owners from Washington DC and beyond gathered on Wednesday, January 29, to grow their businesses and personal connections at an Accelerate Event hosted by What Now Media Group.
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Maman – Penn Quarter, located at 750 9th Street NW Ste 101, hosted the free event that brought in more than two dozen representatives from businesses featured on What Now DC, including restaurants and industry-leading experts from What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners. Attendees mingled while enjoying bites and beverages inside before listening to a presentation about how to grow your business and ways to succeed during these times.
Maman is a café, bakery, restaurant, and event space with locations across the East Coast. Its Penn Quarter location provides a warm and inviting “home-away-from-home” atmosphere. Guests are encouraged to gather at one of the rustic tables to enjoy a brunch before a shopping spree, escape the office for a quick grab-and-go lunch, or treat themselves to coffee and pastries before a concert or museum visit.
The menu at Maman includes a little something for everyone, starting with the Maman Classics, which include pastry assortments, daily quiche, smashed avocado tartine, overnight oats, a breakfast sandwich, and more. Also on the menu are various salads, soups, sandwiches, tartines, pastries, and plenty to drink. In the morning, guests will have different coffee and tea options, and during the day, the space offers cocktails, wine, and beer, making this the perfect spot for any group of people.
On this day, Mariah Medley, Director of Events and partner Engagement at What Now Media Group, hosted the Accelerate Event to bring local entrepreneurs and business representatives together to share their experiences, provide updates on their progress, and reflect on what they learned from opening brick-and-mortar businesses in Washington, DC. Key takeaways included the importance of having passion, the necessity of pivoting effectively—especially following an emergency—and the value of connecting with others in the community.
While Kelsie Otero of Maman welcomed guests to the event, many curious business owners attended in hopes of growth. For example, the team behind Good Company Doughnuts, including the company’s co-owner, COO, and marketing director, shared the status of their company and where they hope to go in the future. Wesley Yao and Jordan Lee, the owner and regional operations manager of Kusshi Sushi, stepped in to discuss the pros and cons of operating in multiple areas of DC.
Local franchisees hoping to build national brands in the Washington, DC, area joined business owners. Sam Shoja, the franchise owner of JINYA Ramen Bar; Mutyala Potnuru, the franchisee behind 810 Billiard and Bowling; and Khanh and Thao Nguyen, the co-franchisees of T-Swirl Crepe, all provided valuable insights into their businesses and their growth prospects. Each franchise presented a new and different challenge that was met with a solution from What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners.
Some partners in attendance include Howard Joseph and Jay Karimah, who represented E HPS Heartland: Payroll, to discuss how a business owner can simplify their payment system with the help of their services. Another partner in the crowd who helped guide the business owners was Ken Suktar of Our Town America: Marketing, who told the group how a company can use marketing to stand out in a busy area. Scott Sawyer of A Head for Profits: Draft Beer System also provided insights regarding beer installation services.
This led Mariah Medley to carry the conversation even deeper by discussing critical business points, such as having an exit plan and efficiently managing operations after expanding to multiple locations. After Caleb and the guests shared their tips, knowledge, and concerns, everyone quickly grew interested in learning more about their businesses and how they can help one another.
What Now Media Group shares restaurant opening news in 31 cities across the U.S., breaking news and providing timely insight into yet-to-open brick-and-mortar businesses. The platform shares news of thousands of openings across all 31 cities annually.
The industry-leading experts in What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners help new businesses open and existing businesses grow.
Stay tuned for future Accelerate events from What Now Media Group in 2025. For more details, see the Accelerate page here.
