Success continues for local ‘entrepreneur of the year’ with addition of new food truck
Fresh off earning the title of ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ from the Cook County Chamber of Commerce in 2020, Christina Conroy has no interest in slowing down. In fact, in some aspects, she’s just getting started.
The founder and lead chef at the Bad Seed Food Stand in Grand Marais, Conroy purchased a food truck during the last week of April and aims to have it open downtown by Memorial Day weekend. It’s yet another piece of her story into becoming a unique and much beloved member of the business community along the North Shore.
After learning of her plans to expand the local business and incorporate a food truck to the Bad Seed brand, WTIP wanted to learn more about what the future has in store for Conroy. With that in mind, Joe Friedrichs from WTIP visited Conroy at the community center in Grand Marais on a recent afternoon in late April.
Accolades now pouring in, Conroy’s journey to becoming a small business owner in Cook County was not always easy. Her journey started in Kansas City, Missouri, where she bounced in and out of foster homes and various residential facilities in her teenage years. Prior to that she lived a house where drug abuse was common. The house did not have heat or electricity. There was no running water and food was scarce as addiction prevailed.
Many obstacles overcome, the 40-year-old Conroy is a glowing example of staying true to yourself while not bending to societal norms or pressures in order to succeed. She has no interest in looking a certain way in order to show that she is succeeding and carving out a new way of life. Conroy is always her genuine self. This self-truth comes through in not just what she presents to the eyes and ears of community members, but in what they order from the Bad Seed as well.
Pat Campanaro of the Small Business Development Center based in Grand Marais helped Conroy secure the loan for the new food truck Bad Seed will be based out of downtown. She has worked with Conroy for several years in developing her business and speaks highly of the local entrepreneur.
Though she has found success in the local business community in Cook County, Conroy feels that in many ways she is just getting started. The addition of the food truck to her business is a major step, if not a game changer for what the Bad Seed is capable of in terms of growth and success. Regardless of what comes next, Conroy says she hopes her story inspires others who have struggled or are struggling with any of the issues she’s faced along the way.
Hear from Conroy and learn more about the Bad Seed and the new food truck in this audio feature shared below.
Joe Friedrichs May 3, 2021
