Photo by Joselyn King Brian Campbell, left, and Sami Labelle, owners of La Bowls, rejoice after winning the “Show of Hands” business presentation contest Wednesday night organized by Wheeling Heritage. The couple won $5,058, which they plan to use to establish a brick and mortar location for their business.

WHEELING – A business serving up “smoothie bowls” at pop-up locations in the area now has some seed money to help grow up a brick and mortar location.

La Bowls, owned by Brian Campbelll and Sami Labelle, took home the $5,058 prize at the “Show of Hands” business presentation contest Wednesday night organized by Wheeling Heritage.

The couple has been serving up their smoothies and smoothie bowls during pop-up locations at other area businesses.

“The support we’ve gotten in the first six months – it’s surreal,” Campbell said. “Everyone has been so open to our ideas.

“We moved home for a reason. We’re going to be able to grow and build here, and it’s going to benefit a lot of people.”

Campbell has a day job in sales and Labelle is a health care worker.

“It’s in our very immediate future to go get a brick and mortar location so we can continue to do pop ups, but also have a physical location where people can come. We will have more hours, more options and will expand our menu,” he said.

Campbell noted the couple embraced the pop-up model to start their business as they didn’t have enough capital for a storefront or even a food cart.

“We wanted to start and we wanted to start quickly,” he said. “We thought since we had the equipment, we could go into other businesses and bring people in through their doors while we make our product.”

Labelle said she has made smoothies for her family since she was a teenager. She added that her mother passed last year and near the end of her life the smoothies were the only food she could tolerate.

“It’s really cool we can bring that to other people and other families,” she said.

Those attending Show of Hands pay a $5 donation to receive a ballot and a dinner. They then hear presentations from the four finalists and vote for the project they believe most deserves the funding.

The project receiving the most votes receives the money raised at the door in addition to money provided by community sponsors.

There were 130 ballots cast in person at the Wheeling Artisan Center Wednesday night and another 60 votes came in via internet, according to Riley Carpenter, director of programming for Wheeling Heritage.

Orrick is the title sponsor and $4,000 is guaranteed to the winner.

Also presenting at Wednesday’s “Show of Hands” were the following:

– Mr. Squeezy’s Lemonade, operated by John A. Shook, offers fresh-squeezed lemonade, snow cones, and interactive experiences that engage families and support local events. Shook planned to use any winnings to establish The Lemonade Launchpad, a brick-and-mortar home base.

– Prodigal Daughter, owned by MaryAnn Freeze, is a gift boutique offering greeting cards, housewares, vintage jewelry and unexpected finds at the Wheeling Artisan Center. If awarded funding, Prodigal Daughter planned to expand its marketing.

– Two Flamingos, owned by Jamie Vigil, operates a food truck in Edgewood serving espresso-based drinks along with protein-focused snacks and lunch options. Vigil said any winnings would be used to upgrade their espresso equipment to commercial-grade machines.