Help To Keep Roots Growing!
Roots Vegan Cafe & Juice Bar is a 100% plant-based & woman-owned vegan cafe in Dover, NH.
My small business means a lot to me. Talk to anyone who runs a business and they will tell you, every day is hard work, but always rewarding. We all have big dreams and hopes for the future. The space I would like to provide for the community is something I have been developing for over five years.
This business is not something I opened because I thought it would make me a ton of money, or because it was something I already knew how to do, or because I had investors to tell me it was a good idea. I did it because I had an opportunity to create what I’ve always wanted to. My entire life I have been pushed forward by the compassion I feel for the earth, and for the plants and animals we share it with. When I was in college, they asked us “what is something unrelated to school you want to accomplish in the next 5-10 years?”. I wrote that I would love to publish a vegan cookbook so I could share the passion I have with everyone. During the summer, I worked for the juice shack that I would eventually purchase to transform a tiny corner of my hometown into my own version of heaven on earth. Every step of the way has been exhilarating and terrifying. I’ve learned to depend on myself in ways I never imagined. It’s also been humbling. I'm grateful for every experience, each employee and customer who taught me ways to be better along the way. Owning Roots has been an endlessly rewarding experience. I’m so proud of all the work I’ve put into this, and most especially for all the times I wanted to give up, when I told myself I had already failed, but I still pushed forward.
I find myself in one of those times today. The pandemic has presented an ongoing set of challenges for restaurants, an industry that at times has always been a challenge to navigate. I began work on some big plans to bring Roots back from the depths many businesses have been buried under. Temporary cuts on hours of operation, out of stock inventory, less availability for human-to-human services. We are all treading water trying our best to make things work. My new ideas had me feeling inspired, hopeful and excited, knowing the future of my business depended on it. The federal grants ($ in the billions) being awarded to restaurants through the Restaurant Revitalization Fund this spring was always part of the equation, as we qualified for assistance that would make all the difference. Unfortunately, we were not given our awarded grant before the funds were depleted. Our application has been listed as “pending” for over two months. I was notified today that the grant program is now closed, and reps have told me there is nothing they will do about my unprocessed application.
Without this assistance, I am unsure of how to proceed. I have to process this enormous let down, to think about how to move forward from this, if that is possible at all. I come to you humbly asking for help. The only way forward is with the funding we were relying on. If you are in any position to contribute financially to keep Roots going, you have my endless, eternal gratitude.
With these funds, Roots can thrive. We had big plans to update the space, to begin expanding hours, grow our team, and build out a bar to offer a beer & wine list along with an evening dinner menu. We want to continue to offer our plant-based food to the community for a long time, and with your help, we will!
-Kaley
