In its 10th year of great golf while supporting communities in need, the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give continued to support and unite various local and diverse-owned restaurants throughout tournament weekend. Located at J. Brewer’s, a premium hospitality experience along the fourth fairway at Blythefield Country Club, vendors were once again invited to showcase their products – in fact, many are available in various Meijer store formats. Several food and beverage vendors shared their stories about how they brought their brands to our shelves.
Sippin SNAX Gourmet Bar Snacks participated as a vendor for the first time this year.
“In everything I see at LPGA, I feel the goal of Meijer: to uplift all of the local and diverse-owned companies and let them shine,” Sippin SNAX Founder Melissa Wallace said. “Meijer gives us the strategy, power and backing to make a small, woman-owned company feel like we’re much larger.”
With their snacks available in all Meijer market format stores, the LGBTQ+ and woman-owned business is working to expand to Meijer supercenters in the next few months.
Growing the selection of vegetarian options at the tournament, The Mushroom Angel Company, based in Eastern Detroit, partnered with New Orleans native Jambalaya Girl. The two woman-owned businesses curated the Mushroom Cruzin’ Jambalaya for the Meijer LPGA Classic.
“Our products cut and bite like meat, but taste like veggies,” The Mushroom Angel Company Co-Founder Wendy Da’Cruz said. “We focus on providing wholesome products; mushrooms are a great transition for those who may want to go meatless but are unsure.”
Launching their products in the Meijer Rivertown Market in Detroit, the family-owned brand expanded into Meijer supercenters in 2023. Today, the Mushroom Angel Company’s Cruz chop and burger patties are available in 74 Meijer stores across the Midwest. Jambalaya Girl’s gumbo and rice mix can be found in all Meijer stores.
Furthermore, the Meijer Supplier Inclusion team has helped local vendors grow their brand and business. This year marked Thai Feast’s second year at the Meijer LPGA Classic, and the Southeast Asian and women-owned business saw tremendous growth since their first year at the tournament.
“When we participated in last year’s Meijer LPGA Classic for the first time, we were only in 38 stores,” Thai Feast Co-Founder Caroline Polly said. “I said to my mom that we can prove to Meijer that we make good food, and sure enough, we got into all Meijer stores. The Supplier Inclusion team helped us rebrand our product by being more colorful with our packaging.”
Using their Pad Thai seasoning mix sold in Meijer stores, Thai Feast served a new popcorn they created for the tournament. Polly’s mother, Thai Feast Co-Founder, Genevieve Vang manages both their retail products and their restaurant Bangkok 96, with locations in Dearborn and Detroit.
Furthermore, the Meijer LPGA Classic has created an opportunity for local business owners to connect with each other.
“The Meijer LPGA Classic is an amazing event because it connected us with a lot of local business owners who share the same experiences or know more, so we can learn from them,” El Caribe’s Founder Gilma DeLaCruz said.
At last year’s tournament, El Caribe participated as a food truck but expanded to a vendor this year. DeLaCruz served her cassava empanadas and Cuban rice bowls topped with jerk chicken, sweet plantains and mangoes in celebration of Father’s Day. She looks forward to bringing her Caribbean empanadas to Meijer stores.
DeLaCruz, who grew up in the Dominican Republic, aimed to bring her heritage, traditions and Caribbean flavors to Grand Rapids.
“We’re representing our culture and heritage. We cook with a passion from our heart because we love cooking, and we’re very happy to share it with our customers,” DeLaCruz said.