June 15, 2026 – Viola’s Heritage has won the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center‘s 2026 WIN Pitch Smart – Retail Ready competition, earning shelf space for its cornbread mix inside the Convention Center’s Dutch’s Corner convenience store.
The annual competition, hosted through the Convention Center’s Small and Emerging Business Program, drew more than 40 submissions from local businesses this year. Finalists pitched their products to a panel of judges in a format modeled after television investment competitions, with evaluations based on branding, market potential and retail readiness.