The winning small business of the 2025 Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest by TechTown has been crowned.
Walter Pat’s Bakery Cafe is the winner of the 13th annual Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest, taking home the $100,000 grand prize from Comerica Bank to open the brick-and-mortar business of their dreams in Detroit, Hamtramck or Highland Park, as well as a business support package from TechTown Detroit, Wayne State University’s entrepreneurship hub.
Walter Pat’s Bakery Cafe is a seasonally driven, small-batch, Black woman-owned bakery that specializes in viennoiseries such as croissants, Danish pastries, brioche and specialty bread. It focuses on Michigan seasonal produce and flavors from both the Midwest and the South, offering unique flavor combinations alongside delicious classics.
Lauren Ellis, founder and owner, has been a pastry chef for over a decade and worked in New York, Chicago and Sydney, Australia. Her business is named after her grandmother, who Ellis looks to as an inspiration of hard work and staying true to herself.
With the $100,000 business grant from Comerica Bank, Ellis plans to open a storefront in District 5, where her grandmother lived.
This year, the three runner-up finalists were also awarded a $10,000 grant to assist with the opening of their storefronts, courtesy of TechTown’s Small Business Support Hub grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
“TechTown is proud of Walter Pat’s Bakery Cafe’s win and excited to continue to support the business as it grows into a staple in the local community,” said Christianne Malone, Assistant Vice President for Economic Development at Wayne State University and Chief Program Officer of TechTown Detroit.
“All of this year’s Top 4 businesses will bring vitality to Detroit’s small business ecosystem, and TechTown will continue to work with these entrepreneurs to help them bring their dream businesses to life and strengthen the communities in which they will be based,” said Malone.
Throughout the 2025 Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest, public voting determined which businesses advanced in the competition, narrowing 10 semi-finalists down to four finalists. After more than 21,000 votes were cast, the four finalists – Detroit Culture & Clay, Halie & Co, Livy’s Sweet Rolls and Walter Pat’s Bakery Cafe – were selected.
A second round of public voting opened on June 2 and concluded at tonight’s event after each of the finalists pitched their business ideas live to a panel of judges and an audience of their community, families and peers.
Public votes and the judges’ deliberation were taken into consideration in crowning Walter Pat’s Bakery Cafe as the winner of the Hatch Off event on Wednesday, June 11, at the Wayne State University Industry Innovation Center in Detroit.
“Comerica Bank works extensively with small businesses and recognizes the hard work by each of the top four finalists. Each of these entrepreneurs has a promising future, as their retail storefront locations enhance our community,” said Meghan Storey, Senior Vice President, Michigan Director of Small Business at Comerica Bank. “The Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest by TechTown continues to foster some of the best and brightest small business owners through access to capital guidance and technical assistance. Congratulations to Walter Pat’s Bakery Cafe – we look forward to watching this company flourish and provide value in their neighborhood and surrounding area.”
Overall, including this year’s contributions and grants, Comerica Bank and the Comerica Charitable Foundation have invested approximately $1.3 million into Hatch Detroit since it first began supporting the small business program in 2012.
Walter Pat’s Bakery Cafe joins previous winners that are now some of Detroit’s most successful and well-known businesses, including G.L.A.M. Body Scrubs (2024), Bouncing Around The Motor City (2023), Little Liberia (2022), 27th Letter Books (2019), Baobab Fare (2017), Meta Physica Massage (2016), Sister Pie (2014), Batch Brewing Company (2013) and La Feria (2012).
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