You know that great restaurant idea you've been dreaming about for years - the herring cafe? the whey bistro?
The Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards wants you to pitch those ideas. The hotel on Monday announced Canvas, a "food and drink concept lab," in which anyone with a restaurant dream can pitch their concept and have it realized at the hotel.
The pitches should be site-specific. The hotel has a space picked out for the winning concept, a 500-square foot former meeting room located right off of the main lobby. There are two approximately 125-square rooms behind the main one. There is no existing food-and-beverage equipment in the space. It is, in other words, a blank canvas.
The winning concept will be chosen by a committee of local restaurateurs, hotel owners, industry experts and food lovers. Marriott will then work with the winner to suitably equip and build the space (up to a $50,000 investment), and lease terms will be negotiated after six months if the concept proves successful.
Baltimore is one of three incubator locations in the United States. Described as the the first-of-its-kind hotel industry program, Canvas projects are underway in Phoenix and Irvine, Calif.
Some questions popped in our head, and we found answers on the contest's FAQ page. The applications will not be shared outside of the judging panel; the space does not come with a liquor license.
For more information and application details go to www.canvas-startup.com.