Help Davenport's Fix the Parking Lot

Hi there! I’m Emmett Davenport, owner of Davenport’s Café Diem, located in the lovely town of Pittsboro, NC. I’ve started this fundraiser to help with a desperately needed repair. I don’t own my building or the attached property (as much as I would like), so investing in a major repair is a bit daunting. If you want to hear the mind-numbingly boring details, let me know. I will gladly regale you with the ins and outs of renting commercial property.

 

The last two and a half years have been rough for everyone. Everyone and everything has suffered to some degree; it feels silly asking for anything at this point as we are all struggling. However, Davenport’s Café Diem is in dire need of a significant costly repair. If you've been in the cafe recently, you may be confused about how exactly we're struggling with the amount of support we receive daily. And while you're not wrong, the fact of the matter is - we live in a different time now. From rising costs of goods, increases in insurance, and maintaining payroll throughout the pandemic, it’s been a bit rough making ends meet... Don’t get me wrong. We are doing a lot better than most; there’s not a lot of wiggle room when unexpected expenses arise or, in this case, crumble.

 

What exactly am I talking about? Well, the parking lot. I’m sure you’ve noticed the sad state it’s in & unfortunately, the longer it stays like this, the worse it’s going to get. Repairing the parking lot will also help the foundation of the cafe building (it’s built like a bunker/basement with the back wall of the building underground).

 

I moved my cafe, Davenport’s Café Diem, to its current location in 2018 and had hoped to be in a position to repave the parking lot by now. However, due to the long buildout process and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, my plans had to be put on hold to maintain daily business operations. Despite all of these trials and tribulations, our incredible community has had our back, we have been able to keep the café afloat & our staff employed!

 

The cafe has been entirely DIY from the start; I opened the café back in 2010 with limited funds, zero financial backing and a runaway business partner. My bootstrap experience means I've had to be pretty scrappy sometimes and have missed some opportunities due to lack of capital. In 2022 we want to continue to see growth and success; a big part of that lies in the ability to have a fully functioning space.

 

So I’m asking for your help. Please let me know if you know someone who can pave the parking lot for a lot less or possibly free (wishful thinking on my part). The goal listed was the estimate a grading company gave me.  

TLDR: We need to fix our parking lot & we don't have the money.

Thank you so much for taking the time to look at this, I greatly appreciate it! - Emmett