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We are so close to finishing....!
We need help to finish off the last details in our new dancehall lounge and kitchen located in Downtown Lafayette. Our modest budget was close but not quite enough to account for all the unknowns when we began the renovation of an old house built in 1905. Our end goal is to convert this house into to a dance hall and kitchen & bar to showcase our rich local music culture, as well as folk music from around the world. A venue FOR musicians run by musicians, a place that they will be treated fairly! As a musician myself, leader of the band Pine Leaf Boys in Lafayette, I have traveled the world and seen venues that manage to survive and still treat musicians well and fairly by ensuring they will be paid the door without all sorts of fees taken from their pay.
We started with the detached kitchen, originally named "The Stand," and re-branded the entire operation to "The Hideaway Lounge and Kitchen" to include the old house on the adjacent property. The combo provides a walk-up kitchen, indoor & outdoor seating, and ultimately a dance hall & bar.
To convert the old house to a commercial space, we took out a modest $40,000 business loan. This has allowed us to remove all of the interior walls, reinforce the ceiling with large beams, rebuild the foundation, redo all-new plumbing and electrical, add two new bathrooms, upgrade the AC, insulate the walls & ceiling, and create a fully handicap accessible venue with multiple ramps. We were able to do all of this for such a low amount because we hired our friends and used our own background skills with carpentry to pull it off.
On top of this, we used our own funds to make the space uniquely ours by adding a porch, handmade tables, an outdoor stage, and a beautifully handcrafted bar.
As the house renovation started, the kitchen stayed open to keep revenue flowing. We had several small events with drinks and bands to get folks interested in the new venue. All was running smoothly until COVID-19 came along. We are so close to completion, our budget has been spent, and we have not been able to make any money due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are planning on opening in early June and it would be such a strong opening to begin the venture smoothly, despite the struggles of 25% capacity due to the pandemic.
What will the money be used for?
- refinishing of the old longleaf Pine Floors,
- hooking the building up to the city's power
- final trim around floors and moldings
- and paying labor to finalize the small carpentry details
- adding concrete landings for handicap ramps
- catching up on rent due to having closed during renovations and the pandemic
We need help to finish off the last details in our new dancehall lounge and kitchen located in Downtown Lafayette. Our modest budget was close but not quite enough to account for all the unknowns when we began the renovation of an old house built in 1905. Our end goal is to convert this house into to a dance hall and kitchen & bar to showcase our rich local music culture, as well as folk music from around the world. A venue FOR musicians run by musicians, a place that they will be treated fairly! As a musician myself, leader of the band Pine Leaf Boys in Lafayette, I have traveled the world and seen venues that manage to survive and still treat musicians well and fairly by ensuring they will be paid the door without all sorts of fees taken from their pay.
We started with the detached kitchen, originally named "The Stand," and re-branded the entire operation to "The Hideaway Lounge and Kitchen" to include the old house on the adjacent property. The combo provides a walk-up kitchen, indoor & outdoor seating, and ultimately a dance hall & bar.
To convert the old house to a commercial space, we took out a modest $40,000 business loan. This has allowed us to remove all of the interior walls, reinforce the ceiling with large beams, rebuild the foundation, redo all-new plumbing and electrical, add two new bathrooms, upgrade the AC, insulate the walls & ceiling, and create a fully handicap accessible venue with multiple ramps. We were able to do all of this for such a low amount because we hired our friends and used our own background skills with carpentry to pull it off.
On top of this, we used our own funds to make the space uniquely ours by adding a porch, handmade tables, an outdoor stage, and a beautifully handcrafted bar.
As the house renovation started, the kitchen stayed open to keep revenue flowing. We had several small events with drinks and bands to get folks interested in the new venue. All was running smoothly until COVID-19 came along. We are so close to completion, our budget has been spent, and we have not been able to make any money due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are planning on opening in early June and it would be such a strong opening to begin the venture smoothly, despite the struggles of 25% capacity due to the pandemic.
What will the money be used for?
- refinishing of the old longleaf Pine Floors,
- hooking the building up to the city's power
- final trim around floors and moldings
- and paying labor to finalize the small carpentry details
- adding concrete landings for handicap ramps
- catching up on rent due to having closed during renovations and the pandemic