NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Byline Bank Awards Ms. T’s Southern Fried Chicken $10,000
CHICAGO, IL (October 19) – Byline Bancorp, Inc. (“Byline”), the parent company for Byline Bank, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, announced Ms. T’s Southern Fried Chicken as the grand prize winner of Byline Bank’s 2018 It Pays to Bank Local Contest. The award was presented today to Ms. Tia Tanner at her restaurant, Ms. T’s Southern Fried Chicken, at 3343 North Broadway, Chicago.
“I’m thrilled to be chosen for this award!” said Tia Tanner, owner of Ms. T’s Southern Fried Chicken. “It means so much to me that members of my community have recognized my hard work and dedication to this business and have supported me with such a strong following. I am so thankful to Byline Bank for making this opportunity possible — this award will help me in more ways than I ever thought possible. Thanks to everyone who helped me win, and keep on coming to Ms. T’s Southern Fried Chicken!”
In July, Byline’s It Pays to Bank Local Contest launched to find Chicagoland’s favorite small business and award them a $10,000 prize. The contest was promoted on their website and through a variety of print and digital advertising including a city-wide campaign on Chicago Transit Authority buses, `L’ trains, and at `L’ stations.
“The goal of the contest was to learn more about and to engage with our neighbors in the communities around Chicagoland, while supporting small businesses in our city,” said Erin O’Neill, Vice President, Director of Marketing of Byline Bank. “We’re hoping this will become an annual contest that local businesses can look forward to entering and sharing with their friends and families in the years to come.”
The contest launched with an open nomination period, in which anyone could nominate a qualifying small Chicagoland business, on or before July 25, to be considered. Byline’s panel of contest judges reviewed all the entries to pick the top 25 contestants who had the most compelling nomination and providing the most support to their local community as determined by the judges. The contest opened for voting on August 10, to help us pick the Top 10 finalists, who were announced on September 7, and then the top 5 on September 21.
“The entries and contestants were incredible,” said Erin O’Neill. “It was really inspiring to see so many small businesses thriving and generating such loyalty and interest from their customers and communities.” When the final round concluded, Ms. T’s Southern Fried Chicken emerged as the final contest winner after the final round of voting closed on October 10.
“We’re so proud to share this moment with Ms. T’s. She’s a great example of a small business owner here in Chicago who’s clearly very dedicated to her business and giving her customers the best experience possible,” says Megan Biggam, Senior Vice President, Head of Retail Banking of Byline Bank.
Like many contestants, Ms. T’s worked hard throughout the contest to generate votes and encourage her customers and community to visit the contest page. She leveraged an on-air radio spot opportunity she had with WGCI to promote her business, and the contest, and even hosted a get out and vote rally at the restaurant on September 29. The substantial passion for her business and her customers rings clear.
“At Byline, we’re committed to investing in our communities in meaningful ways that help our neighbors,” says Alberto J. Paracchini, President and Chief Executive Officer of Byline Bank. “We’re grateful to be able to present this well-deserved prize to Ms. T’s.”
About Byline Bank
Headquartered in Chicago, Byline Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: BY) is the parent company for Byline Bank, a full-service commercial bank serving small- and medium-sized businesses, financial sponsors, and consumers. Byline Bank has approximately $4.8 billion in assets and operates more than 50 full service branch locations throughout the Chicago and Milwaukee metropolitan areas. Byline Bank offers a broad range of commercial and retail banking products and services including small ticket equipment leasing solutions and is one of the top 10 Small Business Administration lenders in the United States.
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For more information please contact:
Byline Bank
Moira Dolehide
Marketing Manager
[email protected]
(773) 843-7812
