Help Mudd Works survive another season
Donation protected
Hi friends and neighbors,
I am not one to ask for help too often but my life recently changed as I contracted COVID-19 for the second time. Luckily, I have some very great friends who have stepped up to keep things going while I focus on getting better. Mudd Works has been getting by for the last year and a half. But with the colder months and the ever-present COVID-19, we are suffering financially. This is the time of year where we typically see a drop in sales. But with people going out less and spending less due to the pandemic, sales are down. With sales going down in the past year and our expenses rising, it's been a struggle. Despite it all, we’ve managed to stay open half days at one of our locations to provide fuel for our loyal patrons.
Our issue in the simplest of terms is a lack of capital and customers. we thought a GoFundme appeal seemed like the best option to raise money, share our story, and connect with those who care about small businesses. I know I'm not alone in this story of struggle. I'm sure I will be one of the many voices this season experiencing a similar situation. It's not lost on me that so many in my industry and folks at home are only just getting by financially. Making this a lot harder to ask for help.
I ask this, give until it feels good. That giving may look like a donation or it may be a reposting to your social media pages or even kind words of support. Any and all forms of giving have an impact. Donations will be used for rent and utilities, labor costs and inventory for coffee roasting and the bakery/cafe.
Mudd Works started in 2004 as a wholesale coffee roaster. It did quite well until 2008 when there was a bit of a rough patch along with the rest of the economy. Then in 2009, we opened our first cafe. From there, we sold that cafe in 2011 and built out our dream, Half Pint Cafe. We continued to do wholesale coffee roasting as well until October of 2019. A close friend offered us a loan to expand to a second cafe & roastery, so we opened Mudd Works in November 2019. As we all know the impact COVID-19 had, by March of 2020 we had closed one of the two shops. It's been a long road, but we look forward to every day at Mudd Works. All challenges aside, this is our job, our passion. It's rewarding, it's fun, it's home.
Our business centers around the people we serve. From getting a person a latte and a cookie to finding a favorite roast, it's about the experience. To be in service, to have a chance to craft a great drink or bag of coffee that is our purpose, that is our joy. To continue to be at our shop and enrich the lives of new and returning customers, one drink at a time, it's a privilege we don't take lightly. A lot of human effort went into the building and running of this shop. This shop is loved by those whose livelihoods are tied to it. We want to see it through this challenge so we can continue to provide an enjoyable space and experience for us and our customers.
Again, even if you're able to only give a little, it goes a long way. Please share this story so that we can keep small businesses, like this one, from fading away. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for giving us your time to tell our story.
-Marco
I am not one to ask for help too often but my life recently changed as I contracted COVID-19 for the second time. Luckily, I have some very great friends who have stepped up to keep things going while I focus on getting better. Mudd Works has been getting by for the last year and a half. But with the colder months and the ever-present COVID-19, we are suffering financially. This is the time of year where we typically see a drop in sales. But with people going out less and spending less due to the pandemic, sales are down. With sales going down in the past year and our expenses rising, it's been a struggle. Despite it all, we’ve managed to stay open half days at one of our locations to provide fuel for our loyal patrons.
Our issue in the simplest of terms is a lack of capital and customers. we thought a GoFundme appeal seemed like the best option to raise money, share our story, and connect with those who care about small businesses. I know I'm not alone in this story of struggle. I'm sure I will be one of the many voices this season experiencing a similar situation. It's not lost on me that so many in my industry and folks at home are only just getting by financially. Making this a lot harder to ask for help.
I ask this, give until it feels good. That giving may look like a donation or it may be a reposting to your social media pages or even kind words of support. Any and all forms of giving have an impact. Donations will be used for rent and utilities, labor costs and inventory for coffee roasting and the bakery/cafe.
Mudd Works started in 2004 as a wholesale coffee roaster. It did quite well until 2008 when there was a bit of a rough patch along with the rest of the economy. Then in 2009, we opened our first cafe. From there, we sold that cafe in 2011 and built out our dream, Half Pint Cafe. We continued to do wholesale coffee roasting as well until October of 2019. A close friend offered us a loan to expand to a second cafe & roastery, so we opened Mudd Works in November 2019. As we all know the impact COVID-19 had, by March of 2020 we had closed one of the two shops. It's been a long road, but we look forward to every day at Mudd Works. All challenges aside, this is our job, our passion. It's rewarding, it's fun, it's home.
Our business centers around the people we serve. From getting a person a latte and a cookie to finding a favorite roast, it's about the experience. To be in service, to have a chance to craft a great drink or bag of coffee that is our purpose, that is our joy. To continue to be at our shop and enrich the lives of new and returning customers, one drink at a time, it's a privilege we don't take lightly. A lot of human effort went into the building and running of this shop. This shop is loved by those whose livelihoods are tied to it. We want to see it through this challenge so we can continue to provide an enjoyable space and experience for us and our customers.
Again, even if you're able to only give a little, it goes a long way. Please share this story so that we can keep small businesses, like this one, from fading away. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for giving us your time to tell our story.
-Marco
Organizer and beneficiary
Mudd Works
Organizer
Portland, OR
Tracy Creel
Beneficiary