Black Nile, Love is Free Campaign
Donation protected
Hello, we are Hasson and Fanerra Dupree and we are the owners of Black Nile Seafood & Soul Food located in Crown Heights- Brooklyn, NY. We have been in business for almost three years and have worked endlessly to serve our community and make our dreams of being business owners come true.
We regularly feed our community and give back as much as we can, even when we cannot afford to. We have not and will not ever turn down someone who comes in simply asking for a meal because they have no way to eat. We show unconditional love to this community and are proud to say we have received the same in return.
We have managed as best we could up until this point and have tried our best to not ask for the help of others although we have been struggling to stay open, much like every other restaurant at this moment. We have fallen into the habit of giving and not receiving so it is taking a lot for us to ask for this help.
However, it is time that we be honest about everything and take whatever help is being offered to us. You guys have opened your hearts to us and offered to help financially since this pandemic began and we have to admit that current events have hit us hard!
We have had to lay off three employees and have been running the business with the two of us and one other family member in order to keep the costs low and the doors open. We have always lived humbly; we ride our bikes everyday to work and are within the walls of our business from open to close in order to save money and possibly be able to grow our brand.
In January of 2020, we were able to do just that and we signed a lease for another locations and were in the process of signing another for a Southern Style Dessert House called Sweet Mahogany. This was prior to the current Covid 19 pandemic which caused all restaurants to stop providing dine-in services,
Because we already had paid deposits for contractors and supplies, and no one knows for sure when restaurants will be going back to providing Dine in services; we worked out a deal to apply those deposits to creating a Southern Style Dessert Stand inside our Main location on Nostrand Ave. This is truly a blessing and we are excited that we figured out a plan B during such uncertain times.
Unfortunately we haven’t been able to work out the same deal with the work and lease we already signed in January for our second location. Add that loss on top of our employees who are constantly asking when they can return to work, the decrease in business since the pandemic began, a flooded basement (as of last heavy rain), and the recent vandalism caused by looters this week, we believe its time to admit that we are struggling. When it rains it pours, literally.
We all see the news, and know that restaurants, especially small minority owned, have not been provided much financial relief. We were given enough money to pay our employees for four weeks and that ran out almost two months ago.
We will work our hardest to keep the doors open and have refused to close because we understand how important business ownership is to our race and community. We will not give up and we continue to work to make Black Nile a staple in the neighborhood.
We love this community more than words can explain, we have seen the changes from more than two decades ago until now and we want nothing more than to be a part of its future. We do not intend to ask anyone fore more than they can afford to give but we must attempt to turn the lemons we’ve been served into Lemonade.
This money will be used to bring our employees back to work sooner than we can currently afford to (approx. $2,000), fix our now infamous broken window ($1,400), complete repairs for the flood in the basement (unknown amount), and put down a deposit for contractors ($5,300) to begin the work on our second location so that we do not end up defaulting on a ten year lease and owing a minimum of $9,000 which we DO NOT HAVE.
We are humbled and proud to be able to serve this community and we do not wish anyone to give anymore than they can afford. Yes, we do need the money, but we understand that these are hard times for everyone and we will take whatever we receive as a blessing.
We love ya’ll deep and are committed to showing that in every business decision we make.
As Always, the Love is Free
- Team Black Nile
We regularly feed our community and give back as much as we can, even when we cannot afford to. We have not and will not ever turn down someone who comes in simply asking for a meal because they have no way to eat. We show unconditional love to this community and are proud to say we have received the same in return.
We have managed as best we could up until this point and have tried our best to not ask for the help of others although we have been struggling to stay open, much like every other restaurant at this moment. We have fallen into the habit of giving and not receiving so it is taking a lot for us to ask for this help.
However, it is time that we be honest about everything and take whatever help is being offered to us. You guys have opened your hearts to us and offered to help financially since this pandemic began and we have to admit that current events have hit us hard!
We have had to lay off three employees and have been running the business with the two of us and one other family member in order to keep the costs low and the doors open. We have always lived humbly; we ride our bikes everyday to work and are within the walls of our business from open to close in order to save money and possibly be able to grow our brand.
In January of 2020, we were able to do just that and we signed a lease for another locations and were in the process of signing another for a Southern Style Dessert House called Sweet Mahogany. This was prior to the current Covid 19 pandemic which caused all restaurants to stop providing dine-in services,
Because we already had paid deposits for contractors and supplies, and no one knows for sure when restaurants will be going back to providing Dine in services; we worked out a deal to apply those deposits to creating a Southern Style Dessert Stand inside our Main location on Nostrand Ave. This is truly a blessing and we are excited that we figured out a plan B during such uncertain times.
Unfortunately we haven’t been able to work out the same deal with the work and lease we already signed in January for our second location. Add that loss on top of our employees who are constantly asking when they can return to work, the decrease in business since the pandemic began, a flooded basement (as of last heavy rain), and the recent vandalism caused by looters this week, we believe its time to admit that we are struggling. When it rains it pours, literally.
We all see the news, and know that restaurants, especially small minority owned, have not been provided much financial relief. We were given enough money to pay our employees for four weeks and that ran out almost two months ago.
We will work our hardest to keep the doors open and have refused to close because we understand how important business ownership is to our race and community. We will not give up and we continue to work to make Black Nile a staple in the neighborhood.
We love this community more than words can explain, we have seen the changes from more than two decades ago until now and we want nothing more than to be a part of its future. We do not intend to ask anyone fore more than they can afford to give but we must attempt to turn the lemons we’ve been served into Lemonade.
This money will be used to bring our employees back to work sooner than we can currently afford to (approx. $2,000), fix our now infamous broken window ($1,400), complete repairs for the flood in the basement (unknown amount), and put down a deposit for contractors ($5,300) to begin the work on our second location so that we do not end up defaulting on a ten year lease and owing a minimum of $9,000 which we DO NOT HAVE.
We are humbled and proud to be able to serve this community and we do not wish anyone to give anymore than they can afford. Yes, we do need the money, but we understand that these are hard times for everyone and we will take whatever we receive as a blessing.
We love ya’ll deep and are committed to showing that in every business decision we make.
As Always, the Love is Free
- Team Black Nile
Organizer
Fanerra Dupree
Organizer
Brooklyn, NY
