Announcing the winners of the 2019 CloverAchievers contest!

We are thrilled to announce the results from the CloverAchievers contest!

CloverAchievers, which Clover launched in May during National Small Business Week, celebrates the impact small businesses have on the U.S. economy. It spotlights business owners who are unique and authentic, passionate about their day-to-day work, and who go above and beyond to achieve success.

Applications were accepted through July 31st, 2019, and all small businesses across the country were invited to enter the contest, regardless of whether or not they were current Clover users. These businesses were all vying for a portion of $100,000 in value, consisting of a cash grant, credit for a “Clover makeover,” and a $5,000 donation made in their name to an approved local philanthropic organization of their choice. The prize was split in a tiered fashion amongst the first, second, and third place winners.

For the last two months, our judges have been working hard to evaluate the nearly 2,000 entries from small businesses all over the US. We asked entrants the following questions:

1. Why are you passionate about your business, and what makes your business unique
2. What’s the biggest struggle your business has, and how would winning this contest help you overcome that?

Additionally, entries were judged on their plans for growth, current and potential community impact, web presence, overall aesthetic, online reviews, and more.

Drumroll, please…

The first place winner is Ludwig’s German Table in San Jose, California. Ludwig’s, run by Nicole Jacobi and Ben Bate, is a festive restaurant, biergarten, and event space in the heart of Silicon Valley. Both owners run the day-to-day operations, and have a true love for bringing authentic and traditional German food and culture to the Bay Area. Right now, Ludwig’s is in the midst of opening a second location in Mountain View, California, and these funds will help them cover startup costs along with new Clover Flex devices so servers can easily take orders and payments on the go.

The second place winner is The Seafood Lady in Louisville, Kentucky. The Seafood Lady, run by Nichelle and Luke Thurston, can be summed up in three words: food, family, and faith. When Nichelle moved to Louisville, she missed the Florida-style seafood platters that represented her roots further south. Now she cooks up steamy plates of crab, lobster, crawfish, and veggies to delight her customers. The Seafood Lady is building a loyal customer base, and is in the midst of transitioning to a new location. The funds received from their CloverAchievers prize will help them bridge the gap so they can continue to provide their fans with the food they crave.

The third place winner is Harlem Doggie Day Spa in New York, New York. Harlem Doggie Day Spa, run by Brian Taylor, is dedicated to providing the finest cage-free boarding, daycare, and grooming to its clients’ pets. They focus on safety, cleanliness, client-communication, and tail-wagging dog happiness. More than half of their staff was, at one point, considered at-risk youth who needed a second chance. Brian has provided them with employment and a living wage to help them get on their feet without having to leave their home community. Current challenges for Harlem Doggie Day Spa focus on competition with giants like Wag, Amazon, and Chewy. Partnering with Clover will allow them to expand and streamline their services so they can connect to new customers both in Harlem and beyond.

Congrats to all CloverAchievers!

Congratulations to all of our entrants, finalists, and especially our winners. It was incredibly difficult to pick just three businesses out of the amazing pool of applicants, and we celebrate all of the CloverAchievers out there. We look forward to continuing our work with the small business community to help businesses thrive.

Editorial Team

Clover news, SMB

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