Zach Berg, a TechTown Detroit Retail Boot Camp alumni and co–founder of Mongers’ Provisions, shares in-depth snapshot of his entrepreneurial journey
As a small business owner, entrepreneur and co-founder of Mongers’ Provisions with my childhood friend Will Werner, I often joke that we’re living our daydreams. Mongers’ Provisions is a specialty grocery store with two locations, one in Detroit and one in Berkley. The Berkley location also has an attached restaurant.
Will and I spent a lot of time sitting on a couch talking about working together, talking about building something. Now, our daydreams have turned into a reality — and a team sport as Mongers’ currently employs about 27 people.
As a cheese monger, my passion for food is a huge part of our “why.” The other piece that may be less obvious, but equally as important to Will and I, is our shared passion for connection.
Food is one of the best ways that we know to connect people. To break bread with somebody is to know them. We think of food as a way to bridge divides, whether they’re geographic or socioeconomic.
Through Mongers’, we really hope we are allowing individuals to connect with the people across their dinner table and, in some cases, with the people who made their food. Generally speaking, farmers and producers work too hard and too much to talk about themselves. My job is to tell their stories.
Zach Berg graduated from TechTown’s Retail Boot Camp. The experience has helped him and his partner build a retail and food service business employing more than two dozen people.
The impact of TechTown’s Retail Boot Camp
A big part of how we built Mongers’ to what it is today started with TechTown Detroit’s Retail Boot Camp program. I’m an alum of the program and Will is an alum of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program by Wayne State University’s Division of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development. After Will graduated from Goldman Sachs, he encouraged me to participate in Retail Boot Camp.
Retail Boot Camp formalized my thinking as a business owner. It helped identify the yin-yang of how my business partner and I operate. While I’m much more into feelings and visions, Will is more analytical. In experiencing Retail Boot Camp’s trainings and learning how to create our business, we suddenly realized we had a business formula.
At the end of Retail Boot Camp, we had to have a business plan. We needed to answer critical questions and have our “why” solidified in addition to having the math to back it up. I never would have done that thorough and disciplined of an approach if it weren’t for TechTown.
Retail Boot Camp was a fantastic entrepreneurial experience. To be plugged into the network is so much more valuable than just the class itself. Retail Boot Camp created a space for me to dive into intense thought exercises. ‘What is going to be my business? Where? How? And Why?’
Ongoing support and resources
Moreover, after graduating, in addition to having the knowledge and resources of the program, you also have cohort colleagues, friends and connections. It just keeps on giving.
An example of the community continuing to provide for small business owners is when TechTown recently invited WhizBang Retail Training, a consultant from the west side of the state. They did an all-day class and invited roughly 40 different businesses. We spent eight hours in immersive learning.
I can say from my own experience that I don’t get much time to learn. My days are filled with a lot of doing, and there’s plenty of growing, but it’s hard to find resources and the time to fill your own cup. Will and I have been really energized over the last month because TechTown invited WhizBang to share resources with us.
Beyond the programs and connections, the people who lead TechTown are a great resource. While they’re in our locations shopping, we know they’re also just a phone call away whenever we need support.
Mongers’ Provisions offers a curated selection of wines, cheeses, meats and other fine foods.
TechTown: Giving business owners the tools to thrive
With the help of TechTown’s Retail Boot Camp and the additional resources and connections it brought, we’ve truly accomplished becoming a routine part of people’s lives and of the neighborhoods around our Detroit store. We’re part of the food system here and it’s been incredible.
Looking ahead to our future, we’re learning to optimize while continuing to grow. We’ve hit our original vision in gross revenue. From here, it’s about working on building net revenue and figuring out how to be more profitable through expansion — not just adding another location. We’re really passionate about what we do and we want to do it well.
Being an entrepreneur is often very lonely work. The buck stops with you. Through TechTown, you have a community of people all experiencing what you’re experiencing. We can collaborate and commiserate together, creating an invaluable experience. TechTown is building an ecosystem for entrepreneurs to be successful in and it’s remarkable to be a part of this community.
Giving back to our community
Most people know TechTown for its support of small business owners, tech entrepreneurs and for its coworking space in Detroit. But through my experience, I realized it was so much more. It created a home for entrepreneurship, and that happens only through adequate resources and funding by the generosity of donors. As a small business owner who’s been able to launch a vision into a reality through TechTown, I thank the donors who’ve committed to helping build our small business ecosystem. If you’re able to donate, whether that’s $5 or $5,000, entrepreneurs just like myself will share gratitude for years to come.
