in November of 2019 my parents pursued a dream and purchased a restaurant in their small hometown of Blackstone Virginia. The excitement was beyond describable words and my dad was to be a full time business owner while my mom continued her personal career. My little brother was to be the head chef, something he had also dreamed about as he studied under the previous chef before him.

In March of 2020, as we all know, COVID struck with a force. Business had already begun to slow down in December of 2019, but COVID shut them down for quite a while. My parents and my brother did everything they could to hold onto their dream and worked hard to ensure they could open back up in February of 2021. COVID ramped back up that year and they were forced to close their doors yet again.

This entire time my brother was working with a condition called spinal stenosis, something that causes a great deal of pain. He powered through day in and day out and made sure his food was made fresh and delicious. In February of 2022 they had to close again in order for him to have his life changing surgery on his spine. He took time to heal, and then the worst happened.

In March of 2022, we were out for my dad’s birthday in Charlottesville when we got a call that the restaurant was on fire. My brother rushed to the scene as he was still in Blackstone and assessed the damages. Unfortunately they had to close their doors for repair once more.

The grand re-opening of the restaurant was something we all looked forward to and it finally happened in August of 2022 with a new name and a new attitude. Our little town showed up for us then, and we hope that they can show up for us now.

The company that made the repairs on the building promptly came after my parents for over $20,000 that they claimed they were owed that insurance supposedly did not cover. The repairs were slow to be completed considering the damage didn’t warrant the repair time and they were closed for over four months in peak summer time. They went to court and a decision was made, not in our favor. My parents came up with a plan and determined that they would make payments to this company, and a court date was set for next month (December). This company then proceeded to place a lien on the business bank account and took absolutely everything that was in there and will continue to do so until they are paid up, something that was never discussed nor agreed upon.

101 on Main Eatery and Pub has only been open one continuous year since owning the place for three full years. They have had disruption after disruption and now the rubber is meeting the road. We need help. My family wants nothing more than to keep this business up and running and to continue to serve the wonderful patrons that walk through those doors. There have been many five star reviews since reopening, in fact they have been consistent. Lack of business is not the issue, unfortunately it’s the big guys picking on the little guys who are just trying to survive. Please consider donating. If you love fresh food and a great atmosphere, this is the place for you. They take pride in what they serve and they take even more pride in how they serve it. Creating this go fund me was not done lightly, and it was a difficult decision to make. We strive to be successful small business owners, but realize that without you and your consistent patronage, we would be nothing. Thank you in advance for anything you are able to give, we sincerely appreciate you and hope to see you at 101 on Main soon.