Help Wine N Liquor Basket
0% complete
$475 raised of $75K
8 donations
For 34 years, my family has owned and operated Wine N Liquor Basket in Sherman Oaks, CA. Now we are being forced to close because our landlord is ending the whole plaza lease for demolition and renovation, and we were given only 60 days to leave. After building this business over decades, that timeline is not enough time to find a new location and start over.
I came to this country from Egypt in the 1980s, and my brothers and I started this business in the 1990s. This store has been our livelihood for most of our lives. My son began working with me in 2010 and has stayed by my side in the family business ever since. I raised all four of my children through this store: my son and my three daughters. I always believed this legacy would be passed down and that I could retire peacefully knowing my family's future was secure. I was hoping my son would be able to do the same with his own child. Instead, we are now facing a sudden shutdown and the loss of the stability we worked so hard to build.
Our store also became more than a neighborhood convenience store. Over the years, it became a connection point for people in the area and for many workers from the surrounding shops. We built so many relationships that it feels like we became extended family to many of the people around us. This closure is not just affecting my family, but also so many people who have known us for 2 years, 12 years, or even 34 years.
Even if we are able to secure a new location, we still cannot simply reopen right away. Many of the required licenses take time, and the CUB alone costs $25,000, with another $9,000 to expedite it. On top of that, we still have to pay rent through our final month, and we have to dismantle and move all of our coolers and shelves. Until the licenses and regulations are dealt with, our livelihood is on hold and we will not be able to make ends meet for a while.
I am asking for help so we can cover these urgent relocation and licensing costs and have a real chance to reopen. Any donation, no matter the size, would help my family hold on to the business we spent decades building. If you are not able to give, sharing this fundraiser would also mean so much to us. Thank you for supporting my family during this painful and uncertain time.
I came to this country from Egypt in the 1980s, and my brothers and I started this business in the 1990s. This store has been our livelihood for most of our lives. My son began working with me in 2010 and has stayed by my side in the family business ever since. I raised all four of my children through this store: my son and my three daughters. I always believed this legacy would be passed down and that I could retire peacefully knowing my family's future was secure. I was hoping my son would be able to do the same with his own child. Instead, we are now facing a sudden shutdown and the loss of the stability we worked so hard to build.
Our store also became more than a neighborhood convenience store. Over the years, it became a connection point for people in the area and for many workers from the surrounding shops. We built so many relationships that it feels like we became extended family to many of the people around us. This closure is not just affecting my family, but also so many people who have known us for 2 years, 12 years, or even 34 years.
Even if we are able to secure a new location, we still cannot simply reopen right away. Many of the required licenses take time, and the CUB alone costs $25,000, with another $9,000 to expedite it. On top of that, we still have to pay rent through our final month, and we have to dismantle and move all of our coolers and shelves. Until the licenses and regulations are dealt with, our livelihood is on hold and we will not be able to make ends meet for a while.
I am asking for help so we can cover these urgent relocation and licensing costs and have a real chance to reopen. Any donation, no matter the size, would help my family hold on to the business we spent decades building. If you are not able to give, sharing this fundraiser would also mean so much to us. Thank you for supporting my family during this painful and uncertain time.