By Oona Mackesey-Green
Northside News

When the Northside Planning Council launched MarketReady in 2017 as a vendor development program for the future Madison Public Market, members ranged from established businesses like food carts dZi Little Tibet and Caracas Empanadas to fledgling entrepreneurs, like Josey Chu of Madame Chu’s Southeast Asian Delicacies, and aspiring business-owners, like couple Yakub Kazi and Nausheen Qureishi. Although plans for the Public Market have been delayed over the last two years, MarketReady members have forged ahead.

dZi Little Tibet opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant at 827 East Johnson Street in the spring of 2018, a few months before Caracas Empanadas owner Luis Dompablo launched a second food cart, Caracas Arepas. Josey Chu now sells her sauces at local stores like the Willy Street Co-op, Woodman’s East and Metcalfe’s Hilldale, and Yakub Kazi and Nausheen Qureishi catered their first event as Ember Foods last March. 

Along the way, these businesses have connected with future potential Public Market customers at local events like Madison Night Markets, and established their own followings. MarketReady launched “Where to Find Us,” an online business directory, this fall to support member businesses and provide a way for longtime fans and new customers alike to find them in the community. The directory includes a list of the businesses participating in the program, as well as caterers, food carts (with times and locations) and retail locations. The directory is available at marketreadymadison.org.