People of ProsperUS: Whitney and Jeremy Lewis
By Mackenzie Hewitt
Whitney and Jeremy Lewis were both born and raised in Detroit, MI, and returned in 2016 after leaving temporarily for college. Two foodies with a drive for entrepreneurship, the couple launched Boiling Point Detroit in 2019, inspired by the unique dining experience of a seafood boil.
After cooking for family and friends initially, the couple branched out to host events. When their service was well received by the public, they knew Boiling Point would take off. The Lewis’s gained additional support from a previous fellowship, where they organized a business model and developed a logo. 
“When we discovered this seafood experience, we knew it was something Detroit needed. Even though we didn’t have experience as food entrepreneurs, we knew since our family and friends loved it, it was something this community would love.”
Mrs. Lewis explained that one of their initial setbacks in starting Boiling Point was putting aside her thoughts about how her business would be received. She had fears about not succeeding with the business because neither herself nor Mr. Lewis had come from a family of entrepreneurs.
Mr. Lewis described one of their ongoing challenges as their competition, stating that seafood boils had recently become a hot trend in the food industry and they had to compete. Boiling Point Detroit distinguishes themselves from their competitors by offering a unique dining experience as part of their catering service. By turning their cooking into the main event of a gathering they set themselves apart.
“We consider ourselves to also be an event company. We love having people around the table, the seafood boil in southern culture is about people digging in, and it’s really about the experience.”
The couple explained that through the community that has grown amongst the entrepreneurs, they have been able to collaborate with other fellows. On Father’s Day, they partnered with Experience Relish for a promotional offer. They found it helpful to seek feedback from and share resources with their fellow entrepreneurs. The Lewis’s appreciated the mentorship offered through this specific fellowship, as they explained how their mentor Ederique Goudia is unique in that she is also a food entrepreneur herself, whereas, their past mentor was not a food entrepreneur or a business owner.
The couple explained that through the community that has grown amongst the entrepreneurs in the ProsperUS x FoodLab Tapestry Fellowship, they have been able to collaborate with other fellows. On Father’s Day, they partnered with Experience Relish for a promotional offer. They found it helpful to seek feedback from and share resources with their fellow entrepreneurs. The Lewis’s appreciated the mentorship offered through this specific fellowship, as they explained how their mentor Ederique Goudia is unique in that she is also a food entrepreneur herself, whereas, their past mentor was not a food entrepreneur or a business owner.
After the pandemic began, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis had to adjust some of their initial goals. Originally they planned to do pop-ups along with promotions, but they had to settle for only promotions instead. They were able to meet their goal of creating a system of inventory and operations, and they still aim to develop a system of accounting and finances with a technical service provider they’ve connected with through ProsperUS.
The Lewis’s were very precise about their goals for the future, stating that they will have a brick and mortar location, and a catering company with a household name.
Website: www.boilingpointdetroit.com
Instagram: @boilingpointdetroit
Facebook: Boiling Point Detroit
