Big Bon Bodega, a popular neighborhood eatery and community gathering place with locations in Savannah, Ga. and Pooler, Ga., was honored as the Small Business Assistance Corporation (SBAC) 2025 Michael Bunn, Sr. Memorial Rising Star Small Business of the Year at the SBAC Annual Holiday Award Luncheon on Wed., Dec. 3.

This award was created in memory of the Small Business Assistance Corporation’s first loan officer, Michael Bunn, Sr., and recognizes a rising small business that demonstrates standout performance and exceptional promise.  

“We’re deeply honored to be named the Michael Bunn, Sr. Memorial Rising Star Small Business of the Year and attribute a great deal of our success to the support and mentorship we’ve received from the incredible team at the Small Business Assistance Corporation,” said Big Bon Bodega founder Kay Heritage. “The SBAC truly advocates for small business owners like us and offers incredible resources to establish and grow a thriving business in the greater Savannah area.”

Heritage originally sought assistance from the SBAC in 2019, when she turned Big Bon’s pop-up pizza food truck into a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Savannah, Ga. In July 2024, Big Bon Bodega opened its second location in Pooler, Ga. and quickly earned acclaim as the home of Pooler Magazine’s two-time Best Chef winner Shahin Afsharian, who was recently named to Georgia Trend’s prestigious 40 Under 40 list for 2025. In January 2026, Big Bon Bodega will re-launch Miss Sophie’s restaurant at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force in Pooler, Ga. and utilize its newly centralized production kitchens to expand throughout the region.

“Kay Heritage and the Big Bon team embody the values SBAC is proud to champion,” said Small Business Assistance Corporation Director of Lending Wendy J. Jeffers. “They are not only innovators within their industry, but also steadfast advocates for community. SBAC is honored to have played a role in providing the financing that helped turn their vision into reality. Their entrepreneurial drive, commitment to excellence and dedication to community well-being make Big Bon a shining example of what it means to be a ‘Rising Star.’”

For more than 35 years, the Small Business Assistance Corporation has served as a nonprofit lender providing financial support for new and existing businesses in Savannah, southeast Georgia and the South Carolina Lowcountry. A Community Development Financial Institution certified by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, SBAC is a Certified Development Company licensed by the U.S. Small Business Administration and contracted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs and the City of Savannah to promote small business development through financing and technical assistance.

Big Bon Bodega has been featured on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” and earned national acclaim for its small-batch, handcrafted menu items using high-quality, non-GMO ingredients as well as unbleached flour, local honey and healthy ingredients. The company’s open, inviting atmosphere and innovative culinary creativity have captivated audiences across the country, earning exposure on “Good Morning America” and in national media including Condé Nast Traveler and United Airlines’ Hemispheres magazine.