Emergency Relief for Elda & Its Employees
Donation protected
Dear Friends and Supporters,
We hope this message finds you healthy and happy.
We reach out to you today under unfortunate circumstances. Elda needs your help. The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown us into crisis mode. During a span of just a few days, we have been forced to shutter our business, and lay off all of our 25+ employees.
Thanks to some severe austerity measures, we have been able to pay all of our employees what was owed to them, and we're currently in the process of paying all of our outstanding invoices. But, despite all the penny pinching, and piggy bank breaking we do, there quite simply is not enough money to keep us going for very long without outside help.
Like everybody else, the frenetic pace of this unfolding health crisis caught us off guard. And as fledgling, nine-month old, independently-owned, small business, we quite frankly were unable to build up the reserves necessary to ride out a storm like this for very long.
There is no way to sugarcoat it: the road ahead will not be easy. But, despite the obstacles we face, we refuse to resign ourselves to desperation. Actually, it's not even in our DNA. We're a tenacious, stubborn and passionate lot. What would you expect from a Colombian, Mexican and Sicilian?
Since Elda's closure last week, we've been busy. We've taken a hard, long look at our finances, searched our souls, and leaned on our allies in our quest for solutions. We've learned that in order to survive, we must pivot, so pivot we will. We have a plan.
Our goal is simple: to open Elda as quickly as possible. With so much economic and political uncertainty, we feel that we can only count on ourselves to turn our situation around. We, and our staff, want to get back to work.
That said, we do need a push. A bit of tailwind to help us build some momentum towards our goal. Anything, no matter how little, will help. That's where you come in.
While we will humbly accept your donations, we also aren't just expecting a handout. We want, whenever possible, to offer value in return for your contribution. We understand that you too may be in need of some assistance, be it financial or otherwise. Maybe you just need a stiff drink?!
With that in mind, we would like to announce several different ways what you can help us, and hopefully, how we can help you:
GIFT CARDS | $5 - $500. Available for purchase via this website .
ELDA TO GO | We have a curated, and growing selection of wine and spirits available for purchase in person, or online .
DONATIONS | Any amount. Everything helps! This can be done via this GO FUND ME PAGE.
NATURAL WINE TASTING | $75. Donate $75 and receive an educational journey through the world of natural wine with us as your guide.
TEQUILA / MEZCAL TASTING | $100. Donate $100 and join us for a close look (and taste) into Mexican spirits led by one of our best and brightest.
YOUR NAME, OUR WALL | $150. Donate $150 and your name will be painted by a local artist on Elda's interior brick wall as part of a permanent art piece that will commemorate your contribution, and our standing together as a community to protect each other during this health crisis.
A BOTTLE OF RARE TEQUILA / MEZCAL | $200. Donate $200 and we will send you a high end, rare bottle of tequila or mezcal from our private collection.
NATURAL WINE TASTING, TEQUILA / MEZCAL TASTING, NAME ON A BRICK AND A BOTTLE OF RARE MEZCAL | $500. Donate $500 and you'll receive all of the above.
PRIVATE AGAVE COLLECTION AT ELDA | $600. Elda will curate and store for you on our VIP shelf your own personal collection of three bottles of mezcal and/or tequila that you can enjoy at your own convenience whenever at Elda.
PRIVATE COCKTAIL CLASS | $1000. For $1000 we will come to your home or work for a private cocktail class that can also be done via online video conference.
BEVERAGE PROGRAM CONSULTING | $5000 - $10000. Tell us what you need, and we'll lend you our collective decades of experience, knowledge and training to whatever bar / restaurant / private collection project you are thinking about.
Again, what we want, above all, is to reopen Elda. We've worked too hard to let it slip away from us so soon. The day we closed, was, ironically, our nine month anniversary. We were just getting started, finding our groove. We're chomping at the bit to get back to work.
Yet, importantly, this isn't just about Elda. It's also about the livelihood of the 25+ individuals that we employ. We're told time and time again how wonderful our staff is, and we couldn't agree more. We hit the staffing lottery, and are proud to count amongst our team some of the best, most talented and charming bartenders in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Our goal is also to get them back to work. To get some money in their pocket so they can pay rent, bills and continue living. It is well documented that San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in the world. With a harsh recession looming, it's in all of our interests to get as many people as possible back to work.
During a time of unprecedented crisis such as this, it would be comforting to be able to count on good government to have our back and help us. We the service industry undoubtedly deserves the help. Over 10 million people are employed in hospitality, more than the auto industry, and on par with the airlines.
Grim economic forecasts indicate that restaurants and the foodservice industry could sustain $225 billion in losses and eliminate 5-7 million jobs over the next three months. Some estimates expect a 75% closure rate for independently owned restaurants. As restaurants go, so go our communities. If all of these people suddenly don’t have money to spend, everyone will feel it.
These sobering numbers highlight the desperate need for decisive and meaningful intervention from our government on behalf of the hospitality industry. But let's get real; we'd be fools to wait for a deus ex machina rescue from Washington, D.C. At best, we remain cautiously optimistic. And with time most definitely not on our side, we must forge forward and protect our own.
We believe that Elda is special and worth protecting. We're digging in and willing to do almost whatever it takes to have her get through this. But all of our hard work and commitment won't be enough. Again, that's where you come in. We need all the help we can get.
From the very beginning, our vision was to build a bar that represents the values that best represent what we love most about San Francisco. Tolerance, inclusivity and culture along with great food, delicious drinks and friendly people. A place for our community to gather, share and celebrate. We still hold that vision close to our hearts. And hope that maybe you do too.
Thank you.
Alvaro Rojas, Eric Ochoa and Jay De Natale
Owners
Elda
We hope this message finds you healthy and happy.
We reach out to you today under unfortunate circumstances. Elda needs your help. The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown us into crisis mode. During a span of just a few days, we have been forced to shutter our business, and lay off all of our 25+ employees.
Thanks to some severe austerity measures, we have been able to pay all of our employees what was owed to them, and we're currently in the process of paying all of our outstanding invoices. But, despite all the penny pinching, and piggy bank breaking we do, there quite simply is not enough money to keep us going for very long without outside help.
Like everybody else, the frenetic pace of this unfolding health crisis caught us off guard. And as fledgling, nine-month old, independently-owned, small business, we quite frankly were unable to build up the reserves necessary to ride out a storm like this for very long.
There is no way to sugarcoat it: the road ahead will not be easy. But, despite the obstacles we face, we refuse to resign ourselves to desperation. Actually, it's not even in our DNA. We're a tenacious, stubborn and passionate lot. What would you expect from a Colombian, Mexican and Sicilian?
Since Elda's closure last week, we've been busy. We've taken a hard, long look at our finances, searched our souls, and leaned on our allies in our quest for solutions. We've learned that in order to survive, we must pivot, so pivot we will. We have a plan.
Our goal is simple: to open Elda as quickly as possible. With so much economic and political uncertainty, we feel that we can only count on ourselves to turn our situation around. We, and our staff, want to get back to work.
That said, we do need a push. A bit of tailwind to help us build some momentum towards our goal. Anything, no matter how little, will help. That's where you come in.
While we will humbly accept your donations, we also aren't just expecting a handout. We want, whenever possible, to offer value in return for your contribution. We understand that you too may be in need of some assistance, be it financial or otherwise. Maybe you just need a stiff drink?!
With that in mind, we would like to announce several different ways what you can help us, and hopefully, how we can help you:
GIFT CARDS | $5 - $500. Available for purchase via this website .
ELDA TO GO | We have a curated, and growing selection of wine and spirits available for purchase in person, or online .
DONATIONS | Any amount. Everything helps! This can be done via this GO FUND ME PAGE.
NATURAL WINE TASTING | $75. Donate $75 and receive an educational journey through the world of natural wine with us as your guide.
TEQUILA / MEZCAL TASTING | $100. Donate $100 and join us for a close look (and taste) into Mexican spirits led by one of our best and brightest.
YOUR NAME, OUR WALL | $150. Donate $150 and your name will be painted by a local artist on Elda's interior brick wall as part of a permanent art piece that will commemorate your contribution, and our standing together as a community to protect each other during this health crisis.
A BOTTLE OF RARE TEQUILA / MEZCAL | $200. Donate $200 and we will send you a high end, rare bottle of tequila or mezcal from our private collection.
NATURAL WINE TASTING, TEQUILA / MEZCAL TASTING, NAME ON A BRICK AND A BOTTLE OF RARE MEZCAL | $500. Donate $500 and you'll receive all of the above.
PRIVATE AGAVE COLLECTION AT ELDA | $600. Elda will curate and store for you on our VIP shelf your own personal collection of three bottles of mezcal and/or tequila that you can enjoy at your own convenience whenever at Elda.
PRIVATE COCKTAIL CLASS | $1000. For $1000 we will come to your home or work for a private cocktail class that can also be done via online video conference.
BEVERAGE PROGRAM CONSULTING | $5000 - $10000. Tell us what you need, and we'll lend you our collective decades of experience, knowledge and training to whatever bar / restaurant / private collection project you are thinking about.
Again, what we want, above all, is to reopen Elda. We've worked too hard to let it slip away from us so soon. The day we closed, was, ironically, our nine month anniversary. We were just getting started, finding our groove. We're chomping at the bit to get back to work.
Yet, importantly, this isn't just about Elda. It's also about the livelihood of the 25+ individuals that we employ. We're told time and time again how wonderful our staff is, and we couldn't agree more. We hit the staffing lottery, and are proud to count amongst our team some of the best, most talented and charming bartenders in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Our goal is also to get them back to work. To get some money in their pocket so they can pay rent, bills and continue living. It is well documented that San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in the world. With a harsh recession looming, it's in all of our interests to get as many people as possible back to work.
During a time of unprecedented crisis such as this, it would be comforting to be able to count on good government to have our back and help us. We the service industry undoubtedly deserves the help. Over 10 million people are employed in hospitality, more than the auto industry, and on par with the airlines.
Grim economic forecasts indicate that restaurants and the foodservice industry could sustain $225 billion in losses and eliminate 5-7 million jobs over the next three months. Some estimates expect a 75% closure rate for independently owned restaurants. As restaurants go, so go our communities. If all of these people suddenly don’t have money to spend, everyone will feel it.
These sobering numbers highlight the desperate need for decisive and meaningful intervention from our government on behalf of the hospitality industry. But let's get real; we'd be fools to wait for a deus ex machina rescue from Washington, D.C. At best, we remain cautiously optimistic. And with time most definitely not on our side, we must forge forward and protect our own.
We believe that Elda is special and worth protecting. We're digging in and willing to do almost whatever it takes to have her get through this. But all of our hard work and commitment won't be enough. Again, that's where you come in. We need all the help we can get.
From the very beginning, our vision was to build a bar that represents the values that best represent what we love most about San Francisco. Tolerance, inclusivity and culture along with great food, delicious drinks and friendly people. A place for our community to gather, share and celebrate. We still hold that vision close to our hearts. And hope that maybe you do too.
Thank you.
Alvaro Rojas, Eric Ochoa and Jay De Natale
Owners
Elda
Organizer
Help Elda
Organizer
San Francisco, CA
