Mastercard uncovers two local gems at the Rocket Mortgage Classic

The 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic will feature two newcomers at the Detroit Country Club this year, both looking to make a significant impact during the PGA Tour event.

A significantly delicious impact.

Two small businesses from the area—Good Cakes and Bakes, owned by April and wife Michelle Anderson, and Kuzzo’s Chicken & Waffles, owned by Ron Bartell—will set up shop during the four-day tournament thanks to an opportunity called Foodies & Fairways™ presented by Mastercard and Capital One Business.

Along with the on-site concession space, each business receives a $10,000 grant plus five ground passes daily (20 total) for friends and family to be part of the entire experience.

The overall mission is to help small companies thrive in the current challenging marketplace, a positive step that’s fueled by the belief these businesses are truly the backbone of communities and the foundation of the economy.

And acting on that belief goes beyond providing these businesses elevated branding and visibility to the crowds in attendance at the Rocket Mortgage Classic – it means giving them resources to continue expanding their operations long-term.

With both Mastercard and Capital One Business aligning at the forefront to ensure small businesses have meaningful chances to scale and thrive, each entrepreneur will also have access to a one-on-one mentorship session with Mastercard’s North America Small Business Lead, Ginger Siegel. Plus, a Digital Doors Toolkit that includes a helpful bevy of resources to enhance the company’s progression.

Before any Good Cakes and Bakes’ goodies are sold at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, April explained the proverbial hole-in-one those resources create when we caught up with her ahead of the tournament.

“I already know some of our disadvantages that we have [based on the assessment], and just thinking about how to improve will help us better reach our existing and new customers. I’m really excited to use those tools inside the bakery because I know the growth that’s going to have for us.”

April would know a thing or two about the ebbs and flows of finance, having worked in that field for 17 years before turning her love of baking for her nieces and nephews into a growing business with Michelle that’s creating an imprint on the Detroit community.

Since the doors opened in 2013, Good Cakes and Bakes has earned a loyal following by providing wholesome, organic baked goods that don’t have chemicals or preservatives, yet fulfill the savvy sweet tooth—both locally and nationally.

The fan favorite? It changes with the tastebud trends—the Lemon Velvet Cake, for instance, was featured on the “Today Show” a few years ago—but the Strawberry Crunch Cake (regular or vegan) is the most popular at the moment. While the name alone is enough to make your mouth water, there’s a perfect hint of nostalgia behind it, too, whisking people back, as April highlighted, to their childhood days when they’d line up outside the Good Humor ice cream truck.

Taking that type of combo to the Rocket Mortgage Classic has the creative duo eager for the potential outcomes that stretch the boundaries small businesses often encounter.

“It’ll be so pivotal in our growth because we do nationwide shipping,” April explained. “We know that being able to showcase our company and our baked goods to a national audience will help us grow beyond the local community because now we can retain these new customers when they go home; they can order, and we can ship to them.”

Company growth is equally on the mind of Ron Bartell. The former NFL cornerback and Detroit native has the city abuzz with his new eatery Kuzzo’s Chicken & Waffles. And his drive to see the dream flourish—for his community and on the national stage— is just as great, pointing out that “we’re looking at something that we can brand and grow and franchise one day.”

(Photo Courtesy of Raj Mehta Photography and Mastercard)

Introducing the comfort food with an edgy twist to the crowds at the Rocket Mortgage Classic is a giant step for Bartell, who has his sights set on opening two more restaurants in the community, an instinctive aspiration that stems from the past.

“Growing up, Detroit didn’t have a lot of different options for food,” he explained. “It was Coney Islands, the local liquor store and whatever your parents cooked.”

That lack of variety inspired Bartell to bet on himself, a trait he was no stranger to during his career on the gridiron, and “do something different in the neighborhood that people could be proud of and patronize.”

(Photo Courtesy of Raj Mehta Photography and Mastercard)

He added that his journey as a business owner includes overcoming a far greater challenge, too.

“Dining is overlooked in Black neighborhoods especially,” Bartell pointed out. “I’m from that community.”

Raising awareness of such demographic and racial inequities is not viewed as a solo mission either, with Mastercard helping to highlight the importance of change by investing $500 million to help close the racial wealth and opportunity gap across America by 2025.

It’s those same opportunities that each small business owner ultimately hopes will expand and thrive from the exposure Foodies & Fairways™ creates. Not just for April, Michelle, or Dan, but more so, their employees, the part of the community backbone they are most proud of.

“Providing employment opportunities to the community of Detroit,” Bartell began. “I’m a Detroiter through and through. I know how tough it is to make it out of that city, and I know the pitfalls especially young Black men face in that city. Sports opened doors for me, but I just want to be able to show people that they can make it out and can do whatever they want to do.”

April echoes that power of employment, spotlighting one area of the Detroit community she strives to help.

“One of the things we focus on is hiring returning citizens, people coming home from prison who often struggle to land a steady job that includes benefits and a livable wage.”

She paused, smiled.

“Seeing the changes we’re able to make in people’s lives is my proudest moment.”

Helping that change become a steady reality by simply enjoying some chicken and waffles and perhaps a slice of Strawberry Crunch Cake at the Rocket Mortgage Classic?

Sounds like a win-win.