West Coast Leather destroyed during riots
When you create a business, you sign up to deal with the challenges that come along with that. However, most small business owners never imagine those challenges include a national pandemic and mass destruction. Not being open for 2 months was a challenge, then we were presented with riots and looters that destroyed our store, and stole more than half our inventory in the process.
People are mad. We are mad. The injustice that is happening to our black community members is not fair. What happened to George Floyd was not fair.
However, destroying small businesses isn’t the answer. Looting all our inventory isn’t the answer. The acts that have been taking place across the country are criminal and detrimental. When a small business takes a hit like this, it is nearly impossible to rebuild. We need your help.
Please donate to our go fund me, and help us rebuild. We must come together as a community.
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#SmallBusinessRelief
3/20 My Dad, Stanley "Skip" Pas, is an amazing father, husband, friend and small business owner; he is the owner of West Coast Leather, a specialized store that offers custom-designed jackets for men & women. His goal has always been to make everyone he dresses feel AMAZING! Look good, feel good!
My dad has dedicated his years in the industry to running a successful small business while employing and providing stable income for his employees (special shout out to Joe Crane, who has been by his side for over 30 years!).
Along with other small businesses in San Francisco, West Coast Leather has been forced to shut their doors due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19). WCL's storefront sits in Union Square, the historic heart of San Francisco, where rent and real estate is already extremely costly. Despite being closed to the public, rent payments are still due, over $10,000 per month.
In December 2019, WCL lost their five year lease after a new commercial landlord took over their building. My dad was forced to find a new store during peak Christmas season. The $25,000 down payment on the store’s new lease along with over $20,000 in moving expenses have depleted West Coast Leather’s entire emergency savings.
The combined expenses of moving stores and being forced to close due to COVID-19 are absolutely devastating. My dad was so excited to be successful in this beautiful new storefront and start 2020 strong for his customers, colleagues and family. Instead, he is now facing over $30,000 of rent, with no incoming sales, as all non-essential businesses are closed through May.
With West Coast Leather’s doors closed to the public, we are terrified of the prospect that we will close our doors for good. It’s heartbreaking that due to this global pandemic, my dad may lose the livelihood he has dedicated his life to for over 30 years.
From the bottom of our hearts, everything helps, and thank you so much for taking time out of your day to hear our story.
