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Diego Zhang’s could be on its way to getting a lot more exposure if the restaurant, which has two locations in Centennial, is the winning recipient of a $10,000 award from the University of Colorado at Denver this week.
The internationally-flavored mini-burger joint was named one of six finalists last week by the university’s Bard Center for Entrepreneurship in its annual business plan competition. The competition is for “early stage Colorado-based companies which have not yet received Angel or Venture Capital funding.”
Diego Zhang’s co-owner Dianna Williams says the judges were likely attracted to the restaurant’s fast-casual and eco-friendly business model, its ambitions to grow nationally and internationally, and its strategy for getting its products in supermarkets. After all, it’s a model that has brought other Colorado companies, such as Chipotle, great success, she points out.
If Diego Zhang’s wins the $10,000 first prize, the owners will use it for marketing. “Ten thousand is more than we’ve ever spent for marketing,” Williams says. “Everything has gone viral … We literally have not spent any money on advertising.”
The winner will be announced at the conclusion of a day-long event on Thursday where finalists will present “pitches” to a panel of judges.
