  We put a model structure on a full subcategory of based multicategories in
which the weak equivalences are created by the K-theory functor of
Elmendorf-Mandell, providing a model categorical lift of Thomason's theorem on
the modeling of connective spectra by symmetric monoidal categories. We note
that this lifts to a semi-modelstructure on based multicategories itself. As a
corollary we show that to model connective spectra up to stable equivalence it
suffices to restrict to symmetric monoidal groupoids.
