Help The Monkey King See Opening!
Donation protected
To my community - family, friends & supporters from afar,
With sheer perseverance, resourcefulness, and strength, we survived off of a combination of savings and constantly pivoting with new ideas. We are always focused and grinding towards Monkey King’s success. We managed to survive these past two years and are almost 90% done with the project. But we have run out of funds. To see this project to its finish line, we need $200,000. This money will help us Monkey King finish up the final details on construction, purchase additional pieces of equipment, secure marketing resources, hire staff, payroll, buy uniforms, dinnerware, and have contingency funds.
Covid took the whole world by surprise and deeply impacted the restaurant industry. While the government released some resources to help established restaurants stabilize the damages, there was nothing for upcoming new restaurant projects. We were left on our own to weather through the “storm” and see this project through. We signed our lease in January 2020 and were scheduled to open in Summer 2020, but Covid delayed us from opening for almost two years. We have been hemorrhaging money to keep this project going. It's extremely tough to pay rent for a commercial space when you can't even operate the business you planned for it in!
For as long as I can remember, I dreamt of having a restaurant that’ll showcase and celebrate Bengali culture and cuisine at its highest level. Being the oldest daughter of an immigrant family, I’ve always felt the pressure to achieve my parent’s perception of the American dream. To achieve financial stability, not for myself but for my parents, as a tribute to all their sacrifices to give my siblings and me the resources and opportunities to become who we are today. That pressure, in some ways, meant putting my parents first and myself, along with my dreams and happiness, second. Unfortunately, I know this happens a lot to my fellow children of immigrants.
For those who have been following my journey for the last 3 years, you may recall that when I had turned 25, I made the major decision to challenge myself in taking the steps to realize my fullest potential by dreaming boldly and letting go of my fears. This meant putting everything on the line, walking away from my career as a Nanoengineer, and everything I felt like my parents were so proud of me for.
In the immigrant community growing up, there was always a stigma that if you don't get good grades, go to college, and get a good white-collar job; you are a disappointment. As a result, we are steered away from doing anything unconventional as it has always been frowned upon. We are not often encouraged to take risks and follow our dreams because our parents don’t want to see us struggle the way they did even though we are a group of hardworking, determined, and resilient hustlers.
All you ever need in life is just one person willing to bet on you. I was blessed to be given the opportunity to fulfill dreams and help bring Bengali cuisine to the forefront through The Monkey King. The vision is to create a space that will capture the experience of what it means to grow up as children of immigrants, documenting and sharing our take on recipes passed down through generations, while bringing people together through the love of food.
When I reflect on the past years of how far I've come, and how many great individuals I got the opportunity to connect with and inspire, I realize I am TRULY walking on the path meant for me. So, if you can help me continue walking in my purpose, please help by donating or sharing my story. Anything and everything will help us get one step closer to fulfilling this vision and opening The Monkey King.
** Throughout the campaign, I will be updating everyone with additional information regarding The Monkey King and a detailed breakdown of where the money will go towards**
Thank You,
Munzerin Munzzy Uddin
With sheer perseverance, resourcefulness, and strength, we survived off of a combination of savings and constantly pivoting with new ideas. We are always focused and grinding towards Monkey King’s success. We managed to survive these past two years and are almost 90% done with the project. But we have run out of funds. To see this project to its finish line, we need $200,000. This money will help us Monkey King finish up the final details on construction, purchase additional pieces of equipment, secure marketing resources, hire staff, payroll, buy uniforms, dinnerware, and have contingency funds.
Covid took the whole world by surprise and deeply impacted the restaurant industry. While the government released some resources to help established restaurants stabilize the damages, there was nothing for upcoming new restaurant projects. We were left on our own to weather through the “storm” and see this project through. We signed our lease in January 2020 and were scheduled to open in Summer 2020, but Covid delayed us from opening for almost two years. We have been hemorrhaging money to keep this project going. It's extremely tough to pay rent for a commercial space when you can't even operate the business you planned for it in!
For as long as I can remember, I dreamt of having a restaurant that’ll showcase and celebrate Bengali culture and cuisine at its highest level. Being the oldest daughter of an immigrant family, I’ve always felt the pressure to achieve my parent’s perception of the American dream. To achieve financial stability, not for myself but for my parents, as a tribute to all their sacrifices to give my siblings and me the resources and opportunities to become who we are today. That pressure, in some ways, meant putting my parents first and myself, along with my dreams and happiness, second. Unfortunately, I know this happens a lot to my fellow children of immigrants.
For those who have been following my journey for the last 3 years, you may recall that when I had turned 25, I made the major decision to challenge myself in taking the steps to realize my fullest potential by dreaming boldly and letting go of my fears. This meant putting everything on the line, walking away from my career as a Nanoengineer, and everything I felt like my parents were so proud of me for.
In the immigrant community growing up, there was always a stigma that if you don't get good grades, go to college, and get a good white-collar job; you are a disappointment. As a result, we are steered away from doing anything unconventional as it has always been frowned upon. We are not often encouraged to take risks and follow our dreams because our parents don’t want to see us struggle the way they did even though we are a group of hardworking, determined, and resilient hustlers.
All you ever need in life is just one person willing to bet on you. I was blessed to be given the opportunity to fulfill dreams and help bring Bengali cuisine to the forefront through The Monkey King. The vision is to create a space that will capture the experience of what it means to grow up as children of immigrants, documenting and sharing our take on recipes passed down through generations, while bringing people together through the love of food.
When I reflect on the past years of how far I've come, and how many great individuals I got the opportunity to connect with and inspire, I realize I am TRULY walking on the path meant for me. So, if you can help me continue walking in my purpose, please help by donating or sharing my story. Anything and everything will help us get one step closer to fulfilling this vision and opening The Monkey King.
** Throughout the campaign, I will be updating everyone with additional information regarding The Monkey King and a detailed breakdown of where the money will go towards**
Thank You,
Munzerin Munzzy Uddin
Organizer
Munzzy Uddin
Organizer
Brooklyn, NY