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# Refugee Couple Wins $50k To Start Business In Detroit
- URL: https://www.dailydetroit.com/refugee-couple-wins-50k-start-business-detroit/
- Published: 2017-08-27T19:22:42.000Z
- Updated: 2024-04-03T01:03:22.000Z
- Author: Jer Staes
- Tags: Burundi, Detroit, Entrepreneurship, Hatch Detroit, Refugees, Baobab Fare

On the rooftop of one of Detroit’s swankiest loft buildings – **[the space the party was thrown in currently is listing for $1.4 million](https://detroit.curbed.com/2017/4/4/15177068/east-riverfront-warehouse-loft-for-sale?ref=dailydetroit.com)** – Hatch Detroit announced that the winner of their seventh annual contest was Baobob Fare.

Baobob Fare idea is a a restaurant, market and juice bar that plans to offer prepared menu items, groceries, juices and other retail products unique to East Africa. The people behind the idea are a married refugee couple from Burundi, Nadia Nijimbere and Hamissi Mamba.

They fled the county amidst political violence and were for a time residents at Freedom House in Southwest Detroit.

The couple will receive $50,000 from Comerica Bank as a cash prize, and more than $200,000 in support services like public relations, IT, and legal counsel.

The three other finalists were Detroit Blows, **[a blow-dry salon that’s already found a space in the Z Garage](http://www.dailydetroit.com/2017/08/14/detroit-blows-finds-spot-z-garage/)**, Bar Botanica, a craft cocktail bar that plans to open in the Jefferson-Chalmers area, and the Lip Bar, who had an appearance on the **[national television show Shark Tank](http://abc.go.com/shows/shark-tank/video/pl5539712/VDKA0%5Flxyvj38p?ref=dailydetroit.com)**.

The final decision after a round of public voting was made by the four judges in shark-tank style. More than 200,000 votes were cast.

Previous Hatch winners and runners-up are a who’s who of the local food and retail scene, like Batch Brewing Company, Sister Pie, La Feria, Hugh, Detroit Vegan Soul, Detroit Institute of Bagels, and Bumbos among others.