SAVING DARTS CORNER

This has got to be one of the hardest things I've ever done—every fiber of my being fought me mentally, physically, and emotionally not to do this. Yet, here I am. Voluntarily and humbly asking for help. Because I need help.

I AM A BELIEVER. I believe in people. I believe in the power of doing good. I believe in myself. My name is Tonia Mcmillian. I am a true entrepreneur and the owner of my new startup darts lounge, Darts Corner. First, everyone who knows me will vouch that I LOVE DARTS. I have been a loyal and avid player for ten years. I had a vision and a dream of opening my establishment that would go above and beyond to accommodate and cater specifically to darts and the vast community who play the sport. I formed my LLC one day after my birthday, September 9th, 2021. I went to work immediately, finding a location, gutting what was previously in the building, and working night and day renovating the location with my friend and great darts player, Richard Freitas. I had my "soft" opening Memorial Day weekend this year. I was on cloud nine and very, very hopeful for the future success of Darts Corner.

One week following the soft opening, my friend (so-called) had agreed on a loan to kickstart the business and get the ball rolling. He knew I had poured all my finances, resources, blood, sweat, and tears into the business. We are talking close to $200k out of my pocket. However, the terms he presented were a slap to my face... a punch in my stomach. I declined the outrageous, hostile loan. Since then, I have self-funded Darts Corner. I must share this information because of the pain I have endured by standing up for myself and refusing to end up in a position where MY VISION would be diminished and/or eliminated by someone who does not represent the darts community or myself. As a result, I have been through hell and high waters twice.

It was not my intention to share this part of my story. However, I must tell everyone how I ended up in this dreadful place of brokenness. How was I supposed to start a new business without working capital? How could I survive on my limited resources and the tight personal salary I earned? I felt set up to fail. Yet, I forged ahead anyway. But I am still here. In deep debt, beat up, and bruised, but still here.

Darts Corner is a one-of-a-kind place. It's where you can come and have a glass of wine and chill. It's a place where you can meet your friends in the Game Corner and play cards, dominoes, and just about any board game you can imagine. It's where you listen to the amazing music coming from the DJ's booth or play any song you want to hear on the AMI Entertainment jukebox. It's where the minute you walk in, you immediately feel welcome and the positive vibes are contagious. It's literally Cheers 2022. It's where I have taught practically every new visitor who walks through the doors how to play darts, and they love it. No, really. Everyone loves the sport. But I already knew they would. That's part of my vision that I made a reality. As an early educator, I love to teach. I love introducing people (adults and children) to new ideas, concepts, and darts. Darts Corner has given me the platform to do what I do best, engage with people from all walks of life, keep folks laughing, and offer a break from a world that is finding its way into our "new normal" following the pandemic.

Because of the lack of financial support and working capital, I tried to get approved for personal and business loans. I have declined over and over again, which has caused my credit score to plummet to what I consider an embarrassing level. I reached out to my City Council for help and was offered an opportunity to apply for a microloan. As grateful as I am for the opportunity, the microloan process took 4 months before it was finally granted. During that 4 month's wait, I was forced to push past my pride and reach out for loans from family and friends. In the meantime, I missed rent payments, my staff never paid on time, and I depleted all my savings, retirement funds, and insurance savings. I skipped payments on many bills hoping that some financial rescue would arrive and I would get caught up on all my delinquencies. Throughout this time, I endured negative comments, laughing behind my back, wishing for failure, and other agonizing incidents. I painted on my smile every day and showed up at Darts Corner, ready to greet my new guests and uplift everybody who needed a smile. All the while losing weight and enduring sleepless nights every night.

In the 7 months that Darts Corner has been open, I've opened the doors for numerous events, introduced a whole bar of signature cocktails created with wine-based liquors (whiskey, rum, vodka, gin, tequila), established another location for darts players to enjoy leagues and/or qualify for the annual Las Vegas and Laughlin tournaments, and shared as many of my "thinking out the box" ideas as possible. They told me I'd never make it without a full liquor license. Yet, my signature cocktails are the highest-selling item on my drink menu behind Modelo beer and right in front of our Beatbox punch. I have the most dedicated and committed staff that any employer could wish for. They have stayed with me through every hurdle, crisis, or emergency. I will never understand it. But I will be forever grateful. What hurts the most is that this is the first time I have no financial means to pay my staff. I worked with an investor this past week and was informed that "Darts Corner just isn't generating enough income for them to feel confident in investing at this time." Sadly, during this post-pandemic period, lenders require startups to deposit $10K monthly, operate for one year, and have a credit score of 680. I meet none of the criteria. However, Darts Corner has begun to gain traction, and all the potential I knew the business had is beginning to be fulfilled. I don't want to believe it's late to save my incredible business.

As I conclude, the past 7 months have left me in serious debt. I have worked my ass off night and day. I just can't quit on my dream. I just can't quit on my staff. I can't quit on Dennis, an older gentleman who is autistic and comes in Sundays after having free breakfast at his church. I have shown him how to do one particular job at Darts Corner, and I pay him $30. He is worthy and functioning as an adult with special needs. I recognize that, and I can't quit on him. Most of all, I just can't quit on myself. I have never been good at asking for help. I was born to help others. It's in my DNA. Now, I need help. To anyone who has visited Darts Corner, please continue to tell your friends and family about my awesome lounge. I need financial help to rescue the business right now. But I need to share the fun, upbeat, competitive, and amazing Darts Corner the most.

Every penny donated to this request will be spent on the business. I made my bed spending my money to meet Darts Corner's needs instead of paying my personal bills. I own that, and I will figure out how to fix that. But I need to get caught up on the rent. I need to get the entire commercial kitchen up to par and functional. I need to pay my staff who work so hard, 7 days a week, and have earned every one of their salaries. One of my closest friends told me that I have no idea how much people love me. She is right. I never think about things like that because I love people. I care about people and their families. My heart is breaking right now because I feel like I have let so many people down. I will continue looking for funding. But my baby - Darts Corner will appreciate whatever anyone can share to help me save my dream. My lounge is a true reflection of who I am and the role that I was born to play in society and in my community. I play hard, but I work even harder. God bless you all, and thank you from the bottom of my heart.