Help Support The Cornerstone - The Vous
Donation protected
Whether you know it as The Cornerstone or The Vous, chances are you have had your share of good times in this building. From Vous Shoes and Elbow Room to Big Ass Drafts and trivia night, not to mention the countless Terps games watched and wins celebrated, The Cornerstone/The Vous has been a staple of college life at the University of Maryland for decades. You’ve shared drinks and laughs, met your best friends, sung your heart out, danced on the bar, flirted with your crush, celebrated your birthdays, rooted for your team and created loads of NSFW memories at this bar - and now WE NEED YOUR HELP to ensure future generations get to do the same.
Because of the covid-19 pandemic, neighborhood restaurants are in crisis. While many of us have managed to get by this summer relying on takeout and outdoor seating, revenue is still dramatically down and debt is accumulating. Federal programs like the Paycheck Protection Program offered a short term solution and expired long ago. The virus is surging, winter weather is making outdoor dining impossible, and tightening restrictions are killing business. Any hope for a stimulus or help for small businesses has faded.
We have applied for every loan and grant possible, but the loss in revenue we continue to endure is simply unsustainable. Prior to the pandemic, The Cornerstone employed a robust staff of 83 employees. Currently we are operating with a skeleton staff of 15, but without financial assistance we will be forced to close the doors on this institution, leaving what’s left of our staff without a paycheck, and crippling any plans to rehire employees when covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
We have hope that students will be back for the spring semester 2021 and look forward to keeping the doors open past 10 pm. We have hope that by fall 2021 we will be open at full capacity in time for an epic Homecoming celebration. We know that the future can be as bright as the past has been for this place - we just need your help to get us there. So, we are reaching out to this vast community of Maryland alumni and Terps fans alike, and asking for your donations. We understand these are tough times for many and do not take this request lightly. We are grateful for any amount you’d like to give. All money raised will go towards covering payroll, utility bills, rent and purchasing inventory.
We have some fun memorabilia to offer for different levels of donations. $75 dollars gets you one Vous or Cornerstone tee-shirt, $100 gets you one tee-shirt and a commemorative The Vous poster, and $150+ gets you a tee-shirt, poster and a Cornerstone BIG ASS draft mug (see pics below). Items will ship at conclusion of fundraiser. We will reach out for your info.
Finally, we’ve attached some videos, pictures, and slide shows below for your enjoyment. We’d love it if you would take a look and share your favorite pics and memories too.
Thank you for your support!
Mark & Greg Srour
OUR HISTORY
In 1962, Sam Srour and his business partner decided to open a tavern style bar in College Park, MD. Steps from The University of Maryland, Sam figured they would have plenty of customers but little did he know that the small tavern named The Rendezvous Inn would become the iconic ‘Vous that Maryland students and alumni would talk about for years to come. Fast forward a couple decades to 1986 when Sam’s two sons, Greg & Mark, proudly took over the family business to carry on their father’s legacy.
The ‘Vous remained one of the most popular college bars in the nation for the next ten years until the Srour brothers felt that changing times called for a fresh take on the establishment. In 1997 they hung up their “’Vous Shoes”, and transformed the building into The Cornerstone Grill & Loft - a sports bar serving classic American food, providing customers with a casual environment to eat, drink, relax and catch a game. Since then, The Cornerstone Grill & Loft has followed in the The ‘Vous footsteps by becoming an integral part of the College Park experience.
Because of the covid-19 pandemic, neighborhood restaurants are in crisis. While many of us have managed to get by this summer relying on takeout and outdoor seating, revenue is still dramatically down and debt is accumulating. Federal programs like the Paycheck Protection Program offered a short term solution and expired long ago. The virus is surging, winter weather is making outdoor dining impossible, and tightening restrictions are killing business. Any hope for a stimulus or help for small businesses has faded.
We have applied for every loan and grant possible, but the loss in revenue we continue to endure is simply unsustainable. Prior to the pandemic, The Cornerstone employed a robust staff of 83 employees. Currently we are operating with a skeleton staff of 15, but without financial assistance we will be forced to close the doors on this institution, leaving what’s left of our staff without a paycheck, and crippling any plans to rehire employees when covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
We have hope that students will be back for the spring semester 2021 and look forward to keeping the doors open past 10 pm. We have hope that by fall 2021 we will be open at full capacity in time for an epic Homecoming celebration. We know that the future can be as bright as the past has been for this place - we just need your help to get us there. So, we are reaching out to this vast community of Maryland alumni and Terps fans alike, and asking for your donations. We understand these are tough times for many and do not take this request lightly. We are grateful for any amount you’d like to give. All money raised will go towards covering payroll, utility bills, rent and purchasing inventory.
We have some fun memorabilia to offer for different levels of donations. $75 dollars gets you one Vous or Cornerstone tee-shirt, $100 gets you one tee-shirt and a commemorative The Vous poster, and $150+ gets you a tee-shirt, poster and a Cornerstone BIG ASS draft mug (see pics below). Items will ship at conclusion of fundraiser. We will reach out for your info.
Finally, we’ve attached some videos, pictures, and slide shows below for your enjoyment. We’d love it if you would take a look and share your favorite pics and memories too.
Thank you for your support!
Mark & Greg Srour
OUR HISTORY
In 1962, Sam Srour and his business partner decided to open a tavern style bar in College Park, MD. Steps from The University of Maryland, Sam figured they would have plenty of customers but little did he know that the small tavern named The Rendezvous Inn would become the iconic ‘Vous that Maryland students and alumni would talk about for years to come. Fast forward a couple decades to 1986 when Sam’s two sons, Greg & Mark, proudly took over the family business to carry on their father’s legacy.
The ‘Vous remained one of the most popular college bars in the nation for the next ten years until the Srour brothers felt that changing times called for a fresh take on the establishment. In 1997 they hung up their “’Vous Shoes”, and transformed the building into The Cornerstone Grill & Loft - a sports bar serving classic American food, providing customers with a casual environment to eat, drink, relax and catch a game. Since then, The Cornerstone Grill & Loft has followed in the The ‘Vous footsteps by becoming an integral part of the College Park experience.
Organizer and beneficiary
Mark Srour
Organizer
College Park, MD
Mark Srour
Beneficiary
