THE CHALLENGE

Mom and pop restaurants that have given Jamaica, Queens culture and economic value for decades are facing displacement but also a great opportunity as Jamaica is experiencing economic growth, such as a $64.9M infrastructure project, 15 new hotels and 4,800 new residential rooms. With this growth, large chains such as Starbucks, Chipotle, and Panda Express have opened in Jamaica, Queens, leaving smaller restaurants having to figure out how to compete with them, escape displacement and take advantage of the growth in their neighborhoods.

THE SOLUTION

Progress Playbook teamed up with Greater Jamaica Development Corporation, with financial support from Goldman Sachs and Con Edison to design RESTECH, a bootcamp that trains small restaurants on how to leverage technology to better compete and scale their businesses in a growing neighborhood. Restaurant owners were paired up with experts in point-of-sale (POS) systems, websites, delivery apps, recruiting platforms, social media platforms, internet marketing, and food photography to integrate new tools and strategies into their businesses.