Building from the inside out.
DishRoulette Kitchen is a 501(c)(3) working at the intersection of small business development and community revitalization. From two self-funded microgrants to a citywide institutional partner — this is what we've built, and where we're going.
— and who we do it for.
DishRoulette Kitchen supports entrepreneurs and community-based businesses with the infrastructure, guidance, and connections needed to build sustainable businesses and stronger commercial corridors.
Our work spans retail, food and beverage, creative enterprise, service-based businesses, and emerging neighborhood economies across Chicago's South and West Sides. Through strategic advising, educational programming, direct capital support, systems navigation, and public-private partnerships, we help business owners move from idea to stability to long-term growth.
We operate with a simple belief: the people closest to the challenges facing their communities are also closest to the solutions. Our role is to reduce barriers, connect resources, and build the operational support systems that allow entrepreneurs to move forward with clarity, ownership, and resilience.
All services are delivered at no cost to participating entrepreneurs through partnerships with public agencies, philanthropic institutions, and community stakeholders.
Selected by the City of Chicago.
Invested in by the community.
In 2024, DishRoulette Kitchen was selected by Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) as one of seven organizations chosen to deliver the Food Business Incubator Program through the City's $7 million Good Food Fund initiative. The designation recognized years of relationship-driven work supporting entrepreneurs historically underserved by traditional systems and institutions.
That same year, DRK's Growth Program reached a new level of scale and operational impact — serving 195 businesses, delivering 525 hours of one-on-one consultation, hosting 24 workshops, supporting the launch of 23 new businesses, and contributing to the creation of 39 jobs across Chicago communities.
Businesses Served in 2024
Through 1:1 consultations, workshops, and technical assistance across industries and business stages.
New Businesses Launched
New businesses created in 2024 by entrepreneurs supported through DRK's Growth Program and direct services.
Jobs Created
New full-time and part-time jobs created at DRK-supported businesses in 2024 alone.
Value of Services 2024
Estimated value of business services provided to entrepreneurs in 2024 through DRK programming.
Consultation Hours 2024
Hours of 1:1 business consultation delivered to entrepreneurs navigating licensing, operations, and capital access.
Workshops 2024
Technical assistance workshops hosted for Chicago-area entrepreneurs across program tracks.
One of seven organizations trusted to deliver the city's food equity agenda
DRK's selection as a Food Business Incubator partner places it alongside organizations including BUILD Inc., Chicago's Sunshine Enterprises, E.G. Woode, Family Farmed, Food He.ro, and Greater Chatham Initiative seven organizations collectively entrusted with a $2 million investment to provide kitchen access, mentorship, technical assistance, and business development support for early-stage entrepreneurs on the South and West Sides.
DRK provides programming grounded in the realities facing under-resourced entrepreneurs: not just capital access, but help navigating the licensing, compliance, financial systems, and institutional relationships that determine whether a business survives and grows regardless of industry or sector.
Read the City announcement →$850,000 in professional services. And a community that needed us.
2025 was the year DRK's cumulative infrastructure met its most urgent test. The organization crossed $850,000 in professional services delivered a milestone that reflects five years of intentional, community-rooted capacity building. At the same time, Todos Ponen mobilized in direct response to a crisis facing immigrant families across Chicago, providing 120 families with six weeks of continuous grocery support through a model built on dignity, speed, and community trust. DRK also expanded its capital access work through a new low-barrier loan partnership with CIBC and received recognition from Governor JB Pritzker for its small business and community development work.
Professional Services Delivered
Cumulative estimated value of professional services a milestone that reflects five years of sustained, community-rooted investment.
Families Fed 6 Weeks
Immigrant families whose breadwinners were impacted by ICE enforcement received six consecutive weeks of direct grocery support preventing household destabilization at the moment of greatest vulnerability.
Per Family, Per Round
In grocery cards distributed directly through trusted local nonprofits reaching families quickly, with dignity, and without documentation barriers. When a family loses its primary earner overnight, $800 in groceries buys time. It keeps children fed, keeps households stable, and keeps communities intact while families figure out what comes next.
Low-Barrier Loan Partnership
Launched in 2025, expanding DRK's capital access work beyond grants to connect entrepreneurs with low-barrier lending opportunities.
Todos Ponen — everyone contributes.
Founded by Chef Diana Dávila in direct response to the exclusion of undocumented restaurant workers from COVID-19 relief, Todos Ponen is a rapid-response community initiative that DRK has supported as fiscal sponsor, operations lead, and administrative backbone since its inception. In 2025, the initiative mobilized emergency grocery support for 120 immigrant families over six consecutive weeks — recognized nationally by the James Beard Foundation through its Stories of Resilience series.
Named the Pilsen CCSA Corridor Lead.
Now the real work begins.
In 2026, DishRoulette Kitchen was designated by the City of Chicago as the official Corridor Lead for the Commercial Corridor Storefront Activation (CCSA) program on W 18th Street from Ashland Ave to Morgan St one of 12 South and West Side corridors in a $30.5 million citywide program. As Corridor Lead, DRK serves as the primary point of contact, application support partner, and community liaison for business and property owners seeking CCSA Small Business Grant funding for eligible storefront improvement projects covering up to 75% of costs.
Administering grant access for one of Chicago's 12 designated commercial corridors
The CCSA program targets South and West Side corridors identified by the Chicago Department of Planning and Development as historically disinvested and authorizes grants to cover permanent buildout costs including electrical, plumbing, HVAC, ADA upgrades, and facade improvements. DRK's role is to make sure every eligible business and property owner on the corridor can access this program regardless of their prior experience navigating city systems.
DRK provides free application support, budget scoping, project review, and submission guidance for every applicant. No cost. No prerequisite relationship with City Hall.
City of Chicago CCSA Program →
Work in progress.
Through CCSA, Todos Ponen: Pueblos y Platillos, low-barrier capital partnerships, and continued 1:1 programming, DRK is working toward a future where entrepreneurs are not expected to navigate systems alone. These are the metrics we're tracking and the ones we'll be accountable to.
CCSA Grants Awarded
Number of approved CCSA grants for W 18th St properties reviewed quarterly, first results expected mid-2026.
Businesses Opened
New brick-and-mortar openings by DRK program alumni the most direct measure of our pipeline from support to economic presence.
Storefront Vacancy Rate
Before/after vacancy data for W 18th St a corridor health indicator tied directly to CCSA program outcomes.
Capital Leveraged
Total outside capital CCSA grants, loans, investment raised by DRK clients using DRK-provided support.
Families Served Todos Ponen
Running count of families supported in 2026 through rapid-response food relief building on 120 families served in 2025.
Equity in Care
Tracking research milestones, survey reach, and focus group engagement through Break Bread Chicago — building the evidence base for entrepreneurship and mental health support in underserved communities.
What DRK support looks like on the block.
DRK's impact is tangible. It shows up in activated storefronts businesses that are open, generating revenue, creating jobs, and contributing to the stability of 18th Street in Pilsen. Each case study reflects an entrepreneur who faced a barrier and moved forward with coordinated support.
Rubi's Tacos
One of DRK's earliest storefront activation stories. With DRK's support, Rubi's transitioned from street vending into a brick-and-mortar presence rooted in Pilsen creating a visible, replicable pathway for community-rooted entrepreneurs ready to make the move from informal to established.
- Supported transition from informal operation to storefront
- Strengthened operational systems for brick-and-mortar
- Helped activate 1316 W 18th St as a community business anchor
Anticonquista Café
A mission-driven business demonstrating how independent entrepreneurs can anchor corridor vitality, preserve neighborhood culture, and generate local ownership on a historically significant commercial street with the right support at the right moment.
- Activated a priority commercial corridor storefront
- Strengthened visibility for independent ownership on the corridor
- Aligned with DRK's vision for community-driven economic revitalization
Pink Flores
An operator ready to open who encountered a city administrative barrier at the final stage before launch. DRK provided direct coordination support to resolve the issue and keep the business on track.
- Liaison support between business owner and City of Chicago departments
- Coordination with aldermanic staff and relevant city agencies
- On-site preparation for health inspection
- Administrative barrier resolved health inspection passed
- Business cleared to open without delay to early revenue
We build alongside not on top of.
DRK's community initiatives are built with the people closest to the challenges themselves. We do not arrive with a fixed program. We listen, identify where operational, financial, and strategic support can strengthen the work, and help build structures designed to last beyond a single moment or crisis.
These initiatives reflect a core belief: community trust is infrastructure.
Todos Ponen
Recognized by the James Beard Foundation through its Stories of Resilience series, Todos Ponen emerged in 2021 as a collaboration with Chef Diana Dávila, owner of Mi Tocaya Antojería.
Born in response to the lack of COVID-19 relief available to undocumented restaurant workers, Todos Ponen was designed as a rapid, community-driven solution providing free meals while creating paid work opportunities for those excluded from traditional aid systems.
DRK serves as a funder and administrative partner, providing operational and communications support, management, and logistics coordination to ensure the sustainability and scalability of Todos Ponen's programming and rapid-response efforts.
Block Club Chicago coverage →Celebrate Argyle
Celebrate Argyle (CA) is a grassroots organization initially funded and formed in collaboration with DRK. CA stands as a testament to our commitment to supporting immigrant-owned food businesses.
CA plays a critical role in aiding one of Chicago's Asian-American communities by focusing on fund distribution and the provision of essential services. This initiative has helped transform Argyle into a distinctive culinary and shopping destination.
Block Club Chicago coverage →Good Friends
Good Friends is a partnership with local community leaders and business owners during the giving season. Together, we're committed to ensuring that every member of our community has fair and equitable access to essential resources, opportunities, and systems for obtaining nutritious and readily available food. This collaborative effort is dedicated to addressing disparities and inequities within our local food system, making it more inclusive for all.
Equity in Care
Equity in Care is a community-informed initiative exploring the intersection of entrepreneurship, mental health, and economic stability in Chicago. Launched in 2025, the initiative is being developed in collaboration with Break Bread Chicago through citywide surveys, focus groups, and direct engagement with entrepreneurs.
The work focuses on understanding how stress, burnout, financial instability, and systemic barriers impact small business owners, particularly those in historically underserved communities. DRK serves as a funder and administrative partner, providing operational and communications support, management, and logistics coordination to ensure the sustainability and scalability of Break Bread Chicago's research and engagement efforts.
Learn more →A track record the city and the country has recognized.
DRK's work has been covered by local and national press, recognized by institutional funders, featured in national brand campaigns, and cited in city and state government. This is what five years of consistent, credible, community-rooted work looks like.
News & Editorial Coverage
Broadcast & Podcast
National Brand & Campaign Recognition
Institutional & Government Recognition
Todos Ponen Coverage
Celebrate Argyle Coverage
From two self-funded microgrants to a citywide institutional partner.
DishRoulette Kitchen founded in Pilsen
DRK launches with two self-funded microgrants to support BIPOC-owned small businesses during COVID-19 distributing early relief and connecting restaurants to resources when most support systems had no on-ramp for immigrant-owned and informal-economy businesses. Featured in Chicago Tribune and Block Club Chicago.
Todos Ponen launches with Chef Diana Dávila
Rapid-response food relief and paid work for undocumented restaurant workers excluded from federal aid. DRK provides operational backbone. Recognized by the James Beard Foundation Stories of Resilience. Covered by Block Club Chicago, WTTW, and Mitú.
1316 W 18th Street acquired Rubi's Tacos activated
DRK acquires space at 1316 W 18th Street in Pilsen, helping launch Rubi's Tacos' transition from street vendor to brick-and-mortar and establishing DRK's physical anchor on the corridor.
Celebrate Argyle co-founded
DRK seeds and co-launches Celebrate Argyle to support Chicago's Asian-American immigrant food business community on Argyle in Uptown. Block Club Chicago coverage →
$80K+ in microgrants distributed national brand partnerships
DRK distributes $80,000+ through 77 microgrants and 5,000+ consulting hours to 300+ entrepreneurs across Chicago. Earns national visibility through Bad Bunny x Cheetos Deja Tu Huella and Omar Apollo campaigns. Featured in Forbes.
DRK's three core program tracks
DRK $1K Campaign Direct, low-barrier capital for small businesses. $80,000+ distributed through 77 microgrants to South and West Side operators. Outcome: immediate financial relief paired with long-term support.
Storefront Activation (CCSA + Pipeline) Corridor-based support to move businesses into brick-and-mortar spaces. Application and budget support for city grants, site planning and buildout alignment, coordination with property owners and agencies, and corridor leadership for 18th Street in Pilsen. Outcome: activated storefronts, reduced vacancy, and increased neighborhood economic activity.
Capital Readiness (CIBC Partnership) Low-barrier lending pathways for entrepreneurs. Access to flexible loan products, financial readiness and underwriting support, and integration with DRK advising and programming. Outcome: businesses move from grant-dependent to capital-ready.
DRK Growth Program launched WTTW spotlight
DRK formalizes its 1:1 coaching, workshop, and community-building programming for underrepresented entrepreneurs. WTTW Chicago Tonight features DRK as a model for small business entrepreneurship support.
Named a BACP Food Business Incubator Partner
Mayor Brandon Johnson and BACP select DRK as one of seven organizations to deliver the Food Business Incubator Program as part of the city's $7M Good Food Fund. DRK's Growth Program serves 195 businesses, delivers 525 consultation hours, runs 24 workshops, and supports the launch of 23 new businesses and 39 new jobs. City announcement →
$850K+ in professional services — Governor recognition — CIBC partnership — Todos Ponen rapid response
DRK crosses $850,000 in estimated professional services delivered. Recognized by Governor JB Pritzker for small business and community development work. Expands capital access through low-barrier loan partnership with CIBC. Todos Ponen mobilizes to support 120 immigrant families for 6 weeks as ICE enforcement destabilized many households.
Equity in Care launched with Break Bread Chicago
DRK and Break Bread Chicago launch Equity in Care, a community-informed initiative focused on the intersection of entrepreneurship, mental health, and economic stability. The work centers the lived experiences of small business owners navigating burnout, financial pressure, and caregiving responsibilities while building businesses in historically under-resourced communities. DRK serves as fiscal sponsor and operational partner, supporting research coordination, communications, and long-term sustainability of the initiative.
Named CCSA Corridor Lead W 18th Street, Pilsen
DRK designated by the City of Chicago as the official Corridor Lead for the CCSA program on W 18th Street administering grant access for one of 12 South and West Side corridors in a $30.5M program. Pueblos y Platillos fundraiser at Ramova Theatre (January 19), presented by Public Media Institute and co-hosted by Chef Diana Dávila, raises funds for $800 grocery cards for immigrant families.
This work is funded by people who believe in it.
DishRoulette Kitchen is a 501(c)(3). Every donation supports free programming,
direct grants, and community rapid-response work.