Hi everyone,

If you’ve walked past Lox + Schmear over the last five months, you’ve probably noticed our doors closed far more often than open. To put it plainly, it’s been an unbelievably tough run for us.

Here is what’s been happening behind the scenes:

• MARCH: I finally invested in a brand-new HVAC system (after 9 hot years IYKYK) to keep our team and customers comfortable, only for an improper installation to cause immediate issues and costly repairs. (-$7k)

•APRIL: A building fire above us set off the sprinklers, completely flooding the back of our shop and forcing a 5-week shutdown while we navigated insurance and damage control... oh, and we also welcomed a new baby!

•JULY: Right as we tried to bounce back, an accidental power disruption shut down our main refrigeration, wiping out our entire food inventory and forcing us to lose a full weekend of business. Insurance did not help with this one. Womp womp. (-$12k)

•AUGUST: We had to close for another 3 weeks to complete the necessary repairs from the spring flooding. Thankfully, insurance covered most of the structural repairs, though we still had deductible and tax obligations out of pocket. (-$7k).

After months-truthfully years-of navigating continuous infrastructure breakdowns beyond our control, it has become painfully clear that staying in our current space is no longer sustainable for this business or our team. Making this decision wasn't taken lightly, and moving so suddenly certainly wasn't in the plans, but it is the only way forward.

Moving gives us the chance to build a permanent, stable home where we can focus entirely on what we love: serving you the absolute best food we can, without constant property disruptions.

Months of unexpected shutdowns drained our financial reserves right before facing the massive costs of a move. On top of standard build-out expenses (our new landlord is helping with a lot of this, thankfully, but it will still be costly) and commercial lease deposits ($13k), we are facing substantial legal fees to execute our early lease surrender, secure our new lease agreement ($2k), and relocate our HVAC equipment ($4k) alongside our kitchen equipment ($3k).

Reaching out like this takes a tremendous amount of vulnerability. Asking for help doesn't come easily to me, but keeping Lox + Schmear alive means putting my pride aside and leaning on the incredible community that has supported me from day one. I hope that this transparency helps explain the situation.

That is why I am launching a Relocation & Reopening Campaign (https://gofund.me/148359b56)to ask for your partnership in bringing Lox + Schmear back- stronger, more stable, and better than ever.

I don’t like to take without reciprocating, so I’ve set up some special campaign rewards as a thank you for backing this initiative:

•$25 and under: Special edition sticker, schmear knife, or coin pouch

•50-$100: Limited-edition Lox + Schmear t-shirt (+ sticker)

• $150-$499: Relocation Merch Bundle (T-shirt + hat + sticker)

• $500+: Lox Slicing Masterclass! A private (or semi-private) lesson with Lev on how to prep and hand-slice smoked salmon- and you get to take home the fish you slice, plus bagels and schmear!

• $1000+: A private evening dining experience hosted and cooked by Lev for you and a guest in our new space once we open.

• VIP PERK: Once we close the campaign, we will do a random draw of 30 backers who will receive VIP access to a private soft-launch event at the new location, with all food and drinks provided!

(Please let me know in comment section what item you want/ size you need as it pertains to your contribution)

Listen, I know money is tight for a lot of folks and there are certainly other places that you can be donating any extra funds to (the world is a tough place). If backing the campaign directly isn't an option for you right now, purchasing e-gift cards, stopping by to eat, or sharing this post with your network means the world to me. Anything helps at this point!

Thank you for your patience, your kindness, and for standing by me through every hurdle. I cannot wait to welcome you into the new space when we (fingers crossed) open in the new year.

With deep gratitude,

Lev