Help The Dream Away Lodge Survive the Pandemic
Donation protected
A message from Daniel Osman:
On March 15 we realized we could not reopen for the Season as planned due to the pandemic. We were raring to go. Staff all hired, kitchen and bar stocked. Later that same day Governor Baker declared the state’s Stay At Home order, which is still in effect. This is a devastating blow to all of us.
As you know, COVID -19 has decimated the hospitality industry (along with several others!). I know we are not alone and that you are worried about many friends and businesses you love, support and depend upon, but as the future barrels towards us we are driven to reach out nonetheless.
The Dream Away Lodge has been a Berkshire legend for almost 100 years. A rumored brothel and speakeasy in the roaring twenties, it was incorporated as The Dream Away Lodge in 1943. Many fondly remember Mama Frasca and her family, along with Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Review, Renaldo and Clara, and the Dream Away’s lasting place in the local musical lore. I took over in 1996 because I loved the colorful, vibrant, specifically Berkshire history the Dream Away represented. So few regions have been able to hold on to such potent remnants of cultural memory, and to this day the lodge continues to be a treasured local haven for food, music, camaraderie and countless good times.
With the uncertainty and restrictions that COVID -19 brings, we need help as we adjust to the new not-normal. We are thoughtfully working on establishing and implementing practices for safely re-opening when and if the current ban is lifted. Meanwhile, the majority of our staff are unemployed and fixed costs are accruing.
Circumstances have allowed us to offer a successful one day a week Take-out Dinner night and we are experimenting with expanded offerings. To a very limited degree we’ve been able to get some of our team back to work and meet some of the needs of our community, but the current limitations make it impossible to fully support the business or our staff. Even if we are allowed to reopen this summer, a 25% or 50% capacity restriction will make it impossible to make ends meet. We need time and support to reinvent ourselves for the coming times.
We humbly ask for your support in keeping the legend alive as we wade through the unknowns of the year to come. Your donation will go towards our staff, mortgage, utilities, insurances, and all the costs of surviving. We have had rough patches before, but this is uncharted territory.
Anything you can give is greatly appreciated. We realize that many are suffering. If you cannot donate, consider sharing this link. And I hope it goes without saying, if you or someone you know is in need of a free, warm meal, we are here. We are all in this together and we are ready and willing to help in whatever way we can.
We thank you for your support and hope to be rubbing elbows with you at the bar in the near future.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Be safe and well.
Daniel Osman
Owner of The Dream Away Lodge
our website
#smallbusinessrelief
On March 15 we realized we could not reopen for the Season as planned due to the pandemic. We were raring to go. Staff all hired, kitchen and bar stocked. Later that same day Governor Baker declared the state’s Stay At Home order, which is still in effect. This is a devastating blow to all of us.
As you know, COVID -19 has decimated the hospitality industry (along with several others!). I know we are not alone and that you are worried about many friends and businesses you love, support and depend upon, but as the future barrels towards us we are driven to reach out nonetheless.
The Dream Away Lodge has been a Berkshire legend for almost 100 years. A rumored brothel and speakeasy in the roaring twenties, it was incorporated as The Dream Away Lodge in 1943. Many fondly remember Mama Frasca and her family, along with Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Review, Renaldo and Clara, and the Dream Away’s lasting place in the local musical lore. I took over in 1996 because I loved the colorful, vibrant, specifically Berkshire history the Dream Away represented. So few regions have been able to hold on to such potent remnants of cultural memory, and to this day the lodge continues to be a treasured local haven for food, music, camaraderie and countless good times.
With the uncertainty and restrictions that COVID -19 brings, we need help as we adjust to the new not-normal. We are thoughtfully working on establishing and implementing practices for safely re-opening when and if the current ban is lifted. Meanwhile, the majority of our staff are unemployed and fixed costs are accruing.
Circumstances have allowed us to offer a successful one day a week Take-out Dinner night and we are experimenting with expanded offerings. To a very limited degree we’ve been able to get some of our team back to work and meet some of the needs of our community, but the current limitations make it impossible to fully support the business or our staff. Even if we are allowed to reopen this summer, a 25% or 50% capacity restriction will make it impossible to make ends meet. We need time and support to reinvent ourselves for the coming times.
We humbly ask for your support in keeping the legend alive as we wade through the unknowns of the year to come. Your donation will go towards our staff, mortgage, utilities, insurances, and all the costs of surviving. We have had rough patches before, but this is uncharted territory.
Anything you can give is greatly appreciated. We realize that many are suffering. If you cannot donate, consider sharing this link. And I hope it goes without saying, if you or someone you know is in need of a free, warm meal, we are here. We are all in this together and we are ready and willing to help in whatever way we can.
We thank you for your support and hope to be rubbing elbows with you at the bar in the near future.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Be safe and well.
Daniel Osman
Owner of The Dream Away Lodge
our website
#smallbusinessrelief
Fundraising team (3)
Deborah Sims
Organizer
Becket, MA
Daniel Osman
Beneficiary
Amy Loveless
Team member
