Help Open By Any Beans Necessary! Take 2!

Our kickstarter did not have the oomf we needed so we have switched platforms. We will be able to access these funds as they come in which will enable us to make progress as y'all donate.

We need funds for:

$5000 electrical work- our space has 2 literally 2 outlets and that's it. We need to add wiring and outlets for our customers, our coffee machines, our kitchen equipment, etc.

$5000 Plumbing. We have already finished 2 ADA bathrooms and 1 1/2 bath for employees and 1 handwashing sink. But we need a 3 compartment sink and an additional handwashing sink, as well as water lines for the coffee and espresso machines.

$2500 Finishing touches. We need to wrap up our construction, touch-up paint and drywall, sand and seal the floors, etc

$3500 Inventory. We need funds to purchase initial books, food, ingredients, drinks, coffee, paper products, etc.

$4000 Payroll. We want to at least have some initial payroll funds before we open the doors si we can pay our staff a living wage.

$5000 Espresso machine. We want a decent 2-3 head espresso machine. They cost upwards of $10,000 but if we get some money we can maybe finance one.

From Mo:

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie you might end up with a radical queer bookstore and coffee shop.

Thaaat is not how the original children's story goes. However, that is basically what happened here. What started as looking for a space for a construction office for my construction company, Karnage Construction, ended up with By Any Beans Necessary. When I looked at the space at 3006 1st Avenue in the Spring of 2022, with the idea of renting it for Karnage Construction, I thought, 'I don't need all of this space for my construction office, I could run a bookstore too! ' Swiftly followed by the thought that bookstores don't make much money so it should be a coffee shop as well.

I ended up buying the building next door, 3008 1st Avenue, when it came on the market in the Spring of 2023, and using that as the headquarters for Karnage Construction. But the idea of By Any Beans Necessary had already gotten stuck in my craw, and the landlord, Mitch, is a friend who also really wants a coffee shop underneath where he lives. If you give a Mo a place to rent for their construction business...you might end up with an amazing community coffee shop and bookstore.

$25,000 minus the kickstarter fees is about $22,500. Which is a lot of money. We would love however to raise more than the $25,000 goal. We are creating jobs, creating sober spaces, creating community, supporting artists, supporting literacy and banned books, and making room for others. We can do more with more and I guarantee you we will spend it well.

Opening an anarchist bookstore has been something I wanted to do for years, and while By Any Beans Necessary will have everything from children's books to mysteries to cookbooks to romance novels, it will have a larger than normal selection of queer, radical, anarchist, lgbtq, and feminist books.

I worked from 2008-2011ish at the Morris Street Crossroads Coffee and Ice Cream location as a Barista, and then in 2018/2019 was, shockingly, hired to open and run a coffee shop cafe for St. Stephen's Church. I developed the menu and hired and trained the staff. It was almost like running my own spot, but not exactly. However, it certainly gave me a lot of experience and knowledge about the task of running a place which I believe sets me up better for success here.

The menu's general theme is Sunday Church Potluck, playing to dishes that I feel are authentic to me, and taste damn good. We will also have a full espresso and coffee menu, teas, smoothies and typical coffee shop breakfast foods. I am vegan and have lots of friends who are gluten free, and plan to have the menu accommodate omnivores, vegetarians, vegans, gluten free folks, and just plain ol' picky eaters.

We all know that restaurants are a risky business. And I have also spent time myself selling various items at farmer's markets and craft fairs as well as running a farmer's market. And through that experience I know that as a vendor one often does not make a decent hourly wage if the time spent on setting up and selling your wares at events is calculated in. I also know as a customer that sometimes you do not want to go to an event, or can't, but you want to buy something a local person makes. So to add another basket for the eggs here, or beans perhaps is more fitting, By Any Beans Necessary is also going to sell locally made items, perhaps allowing local makers to increase their profit, get a different customer base, and try out different products.

As much as I know about markets, I know when I don't know enough, so I went to local experts early on to discuss my plan and make sure they knew my intention was not to compete. From those talks I developed a friendship with the founder and owner of RVA Maker's Market, Marie D'Angelo. Marie is partnering with me on BABN, and in particular on the locally made side of things. They will be bringing the same expertise to the curation of our local maker goods as they do to the RVA and Waynesboro markets they run.

But to get there, I need more funds. I have gotten through the building final for the basic space, procured the majority of the furniture and equipment, and completed 90% of the finishing in the space using a combination of sweat, blood, and penny pinching. I've had friends and folks from the community come and work for free to help. I've had people drop off donated items and I have gone to pickup donated items. I have had my Karnage Construction employees work on the space on the clock. I have paid for the 2 ADA bathrooms to be trimmed out by plumbers and paid for the entire HVAC system. Plus insulation, drywall finishing, interior trim, etc. I've incorporated a lot of upcycled features into the design because old houses are my shit, and also where I have gotten a lot of materials. I could not have done as much as I have without the support I have received, and I am super grateful for it. I'm a single parent, and a Class A Licensed contractor running Virginia's queerest construction company, and I am just burning the candle at all daggone ends.

To open By Any Beans Necessary, I need to hire an electrician to add outlets to serve the coffee machines and food equipment, as well as add ample outlets for customers to use. I also need to have a licensed plumber install the 3 compartment sink I won at a recent auction and 1 more handwashing sink. I need funds for my initial food and beverage and supply purchasing, and some money for payroll so I don't tank coming out the gate.

I also need an espresso machine, which for a 2-3 head professional one may end up in the $10,000 and up range. However, I can finance one, if I feel confident in the funding for everything else.

The money from this kickstarter will allow me to make the final push to get the space 100% finished, get the Certificate of Occupancy as a cafe, and pass the health department inspections. This could get us open in January of 2025. And I still have 4 more full years on the lease, so we have a lot to look forward to.

Risks and challenges

I already have the zoning confirmation letter and have passed the final building permit for the white boxing of the space. I need to pull a new electrical permit, new plumbing permit, and then pass my health department inspections. I will then have to submit for the CO of the space as a cafe, whereas right now it is just pending as a retail space. I have the know how to manage construction projects, and I have gotten this far by just pecking away at the project. This boost will get the neighborhood in faster and make this a more sustainable feature.

From Marie:

A lot of people have suggested over the years that I do a go fund me to help cover the costs of treating and managing my chronic and invisible disease. I will never do that.

But I will ask you to help me get my shop off the ground because fully funding this project is a way to give me the time space and resources I need to live a healthy and balanced life.

Beans will open with or without your support. But if we have to do this without funding, the cost is going to come in the blood sweat and tears of my determination.

If you care about me, donate

If you want me to be able to sleep 7 nights a week, donate

If you want to spend time with me socially, donate

If you need me to answer your emails, donate

If you are frustrated with my lack of communication, donate

If you want more structure and lead time for market bookings, donate

If you want me to shut up, donate

Me and Mo will make this happen. It's in the name of the shop. It's who we are.

But we are so tired and drained and we are pouring from empty cups.

Please fill the cup so we can do this right.