Covid-19 Ended us, help us continue our story
Donation protected
Help support the staff of Divine Bar & Grill. #smallbuisnessrelief
A gallery of photos showcasing the people that made Divine so amazing can be found here
Since the start of the pandemic, the staff and I have worked tirelessly to keep our doors open. In the nine long weeks since March 15th, we have encountered setback after setback. An employee was struck in a hit-and-run accident while making a delivery (he is fine, his scooter not so much), a refrigerator went bad, spoiling all the food in it. We were hit by credit card fraudsters who requested contact-free deliveries, only to dispute the charges after. When our food delivery distributors closed, we braved hour long queues at Restaurant Depot and Jetro in the early mornings. My staff’s clothing is littered with bleach stains from the intensive cleanings performed every day.
We have overcome the setbacks, every obstacle that has arisen, to the absolute best of our abilities. We implemented work-at-home strategies allowing our bartenders to answer the phones without risking the trains. We produced pre-made beverages and slushies, bought plastic cups and straws (insanity, when just a week prior to the shutdown we were discussing switching to biodegradable straws). The staff who remained working took voluntary reductions in pay, our friends have helped us with marketing, designing new menus, you name it – all to help us succeed.
I have never been prouder or felt so blessed to have such wonderful people by my side, all in the hopes of saving my business.
But these weeks have taken a tremendous toll. Acquaintances, customers, and friends have gotten ill, some have lost their lives. Sales have steadily declined week after week. We are down an astounding 85% in business. I worry every day, is keeping my doors open putting myself and my staff’s lives at risk? For minimum wage and lousy tips? Our landlord has reduced our rent, but we cannot afford to make June’s rent payment. While we are one of the lucky few to be recently approved for a PPP loan during the second round, it is not nearly enough to keep us going.
The final straw came in an email over the weekend when we were declined for an SBA EIDL loan. This was our last lifeline (we never heard back from any grants, or the NYC Small Business Continuity Loan program, and our credit accounts are starting to get maxed out), and in earnest, more debt was not the best solution anyway. Certainly, our accountant can appeal, but to what end? Will the funds dry up? Will they offer us enough? Will we be allowed to safely re-open AND return to profitability? We have finally hit the last obstacle we cannot overcome on our own.
A bar is simply not a bar without socialization; it just doesn’t work. You paid me $6 for a beer you could get for $2 at the bodega on the corner. You did that because you felt safe, enjoyed the environment, the people, and the atmosphere of the bar. That is what Divine is. That is what we sell. But unfortunately, we cannot anymore.
May 31st, 2020 will be the last day Divine’s doors will be open. The slushie machine will pour its last slushie, we will untap our kegs, flip our last burger, and pack our last to-go order. It was an absolute pleasure serving the community for the last 7 years and working with everyone who helped us become truly Divine. I especially want to thank everyone who put their lives at risk coming in to open every single day. I don’t know where our story ends. But I know we’ll see you there.
If you have a dollar to help support our staff, and keep our story going, it will be forever appreciated.
Thank you,
The owner of Divine Bar
A gallery of photos showcasing the people that made Divine so amazing can be found here
Since the start of the pandemic, the staff and I have worked tirelessly to keep our doors open. In the nine long weeks since March 15th, we have encountered setback after setback. An employee was struck in a hit-and-run accident while making a delivery (he is fine, his scooter not so much), a refrigerator went bad, spoiling all the food in it. We were hit by credit card fraudsters who requested contact-free deliveries, only to dispute the charges after. When our food delivery distributors closed, we braved hour long queues at Restaurant Depot and Jetro in the early mornings. My staff’s clothing is littered with bleach stains from the intensive cleanings performed every day.
We have overcome the setbacks, every obstacle that has arisen, to the absolute best of our abilities. We implemented work-at-home strategies allowing our bartenders to answer the phones without risking the trains. We produced pre-made beverages and slushies, bought plastic cups and straws (insanity, when just a week prior to the shutdown we were discussing switching to biodegradable straws). The staff who remained working took voluntary reductions in pay, our friends have helped us with marketing, designing new menus, you name it – all to help us succeed.
I have never been prouder or felt so blessed to have such wonderful people by my side, all in the hopes of saving my business.
But these weeks have taken a tremendous toll. Acquaintances, customers, and friends have gotten ill, some have lost their lives. Sales have steadily declined week after week. We are down an astounding 85% in business. I worry every day, is keeping my doors open putting myself and my staff’s lives at risk? For minimum wage and lousy tips? Our landlord has reduced our rent, but we cannot afford to make June’s rent payment. While we are one of the lucky few to be recently approved for a PPP loan during the second round, it is not nearly enough to keep us going.
The final straw came in an email over the weekend when we were declined for an SBA EIDL loan. This was our last lifeline (we never heard back from any grants, or the NYC Small Business Continuity Loan program, and our credit accounts are starting to get maxed out), and in earnest, more debt was not the best solution anyway. Certainly, our accountant can appeal, but to what end? Will the funds dry up? Will they offer us enough? Will we be allowed to safely re-open AND return to profitability? We have finally hit the last obstacle we cannot overcome on our own.
A bar is simply not a bar without socialization; it just doesn’t work. You paid me $6 for a beer you could get for $2 at the bodega on the corner. You did that because you felt safe, enjoyed the environment, the people, and the atmosphere of the bar. That is what Divine is. That is what we sell. But unfortunately, we cannot anymore.
May 31st, 2020 will be the last day Divine’s doors will be open. The slushie machine will pour its last slushie, we will untap our kegs, flip our last burger, and pack our last to-go order. It was an absolute pleasure serving the community for the last 7 years and working with everyone who helped us become truly Divine. I especially want to thank everyone who put their lives at risk coming in to open every single day. I don’t know where our story ends. But I know we’ll see you there.
If you have a dollar to help support our staff, and keep our story going, it will be forever appreciated.
Thank you,
The owner of Divine Bar
Organizer
Eric Goldspiel
Organizer
Brooklyn, NY
