Charleston Leader

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced an award from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for the West Virginia National Guard Small Business Center.

This award, secured through a Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) request made by Senator Capito in Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), will assist entrepreneurs in the food and restaurant industry to test and refine recipes as well as expand production. This initiative includes 2024 James Beard Award winner and West Virginian Chef, Paul Smith, as a partner.

“I was proud to use my position on the Appropriations Committee to advocate for and secure this award to help grow businesses in the food services industry in West Virginia,” Senator Capito said. “By partnering with leaders in the state, this funding will help entrepreneurs start and expand their culinary businesses and continue the momentum our restaurant industry has already built. I am excited to see what Chef Paul Smith and his partners can do to cultivate new leaders in this industry and I am proud to support this effort.”

Award details listed below:

$595,000 SBA CDS award to the West Virginia National Guard Small Business Center (Charleston, W.Va.) to create a location for food manufacturing, community kitchen, test kitchen, and culinary education. Partnering with Chef Paul Smith, New River Brands, and others, this space will allow new food entrepreneurs to hone their recipes, develop new ones, and expand current production from a small home kitchen to a larger production space. Through this project, new products will be available to market inside and outside the state; current West Virginia brands can maintain their production levels while developing new products for market; and entrepreneurs can get the support needed for success in small business start-up and management.