Vanessa's Bistro needs your support!
Donation protected
There are restaurants that serve food, and there are restaurants where memories are made over your favorite dishes with people who treat you like family.
Vanessa’s Bistro owner, Vi Nguyen dedicated her life and passion to fulfill her family’s dream of owning a restaurant. Vi’s pursuit was to create a space - a neighborhood restaurant -- for people to enjoy great food and company coupled with laughter and friendly banter over the best NBA team.
Over the last 14 years, Vanessa’s Bistro has been a place to celebrate family milestones, lunch with a colleague and drinks with friends. Our children have grown up with the restaurant, our daughter was born the same year Vi opened the restaurant. Our son’s anticipated birth was announced in the restaurant and the place we first went for dinner after bringing him home. Vi’s restaurant has also been an intimate space for a date night -- a getaway from it all.
I bet it’s not hard for you to find a memory or two from Vanessa’s Bistro that makes you laugh, love, and maybe cry. Vanessa’s Bistro has been the small neighborhood restaurant that is more than just a dinner spot. It’s a place where you would be welcome with a friendly greeting by Vi or her staff, a place to catch up on the latest sports stats with Vanessa, or a laugh with the regulars at the bar who reliably make new folk feel welcomed. Vanessa's is a place to enjoy the salmon claypot dish at the outdoor patio with the heaters that make cool nights at the top of Solano Ave feel comfortable and warm.
Vi has always been committed to treating her staff with respect, equity, and justice. When she committed to staying open during the pandemic, she knew it would be hard. But she didn’t back down because more than her well being was riding on the success of the restaurant. The well being of her staff was on the line. Since the start of the pandemic Vi has kept every staff member employed.
Together they have worked quickly to establish a take-out process with safety protocols keeping her staff & customers safe, while continuing to provide wonderful food. When health regulations allowed outdoor dining, Vanessa's Bistro had a two month run that was met with another shutdown. While Vi has been able to obtain PPP during the first funding cycle, the other financial obligations have continued to accumulate.
We are asking on behalf of Vi, a strong, independent dreamer, to support Vanessa’s Bistro make it through this tumultuous time. We are asking you to invest in this family owned, woman led, People of Color business. The business is seven months behind in rent, and high levels of revolving debt due to the impact of the pandemic.
The city of Berkeley is losing small businesses owned by People of Color, yet this is something we have the ability to change. Our goal is to support Vanessa’s Bistro by raising $40,000. If 200 of us gave $200.00 to this gofundme campaign, this would provide Vi enough capital to resolve accumulated deficits and keep her staff employed.
We are asking you to match our donation or give any amount you are comfortable with. Help us keep Vanessa’s Bistro the neighborhood community restaurant we will all come back to soon.
Please continue to order take-out directly from the restaurant and support Vi, Vanessa and the staff at Vanessa's Bistro.
Stay safe, healthy and we look forward to seeing you all at Vanessa's Bistro soon,
Familia De Mucha Flores
Vanessa’s Bistro owner, Vi Nguyen dedicated her life and passion to fulfill her family’s dream of owning a restaurant. Vi’s pursuit was to create a space - a neighborhood restaurant -- for people to enjoy great food and company coupled with laughter and friendly banter over the best NBA team.
Over the last 14 years, Vanessa’s Bistro has been a place to celebrate family milestones, lunch with a colleague and drinks with friends. Our children have grown up with the restaurant, our daughter was born the same year Vi opened the restaurant. Our son’s anticipated birth was announced in the restaurant and the place we first went for dinner after bringing him home. Vi’s restaurant has also been an intimate space for a date night -- a getaway from it all.
I bet it’s not hard for you to find a memory or two from Vanessa’s Bistro that makes you laugh, love, and maybe cry. Vanessa’s Bistro has been the small neighborhood restaurant that is more than just a dinner spot. It’s a place where you would be welcome with a friendly greeting by Vi or her staff, a place to catch up on the latest sports stats with Vanessa, or a laugh with the regulars at the bar who reliably make new folk feel welcomed. Vanessa's is a place to enjoy the salmon claypot dish at the outdoor patio with the heaters that make cool nights at the top of Solano Ave feel comfortable and warm.
Vi has always been committed to treating her staff with respect, equity, and justice. When she committed to staying open during the pandemic, she knew it would be hard. But she didn’t back down because more than her well being was riding on the success of the restaurant. The well being of her staff was on the line. Since the start of the pandemic Vi has kept every staff member employed.
Together they have worked quickly to establish a take-out process with safety protocols keeping her staff & customers safe, while continuing to provide wonderful food. When health regulations allowed outdoor dining, Vanessa's Bistro had a two month run that was met with another shutdown. While Vi has been able to obtain PPP during the first funding cycle, the other financial obligations have continued to accumulate.
We are asking on behalf of Vi, a strong, independent dreamer, to support Vanessa’s Bistro make it through this tumultuous time. We are asking you to invest in this family owned, woman led, People of Color business. The business is seven months behind in rent, and high levels of revolving debt due to the impact of the pandemic.
The city of Berkeley is losing small businesses owned by People of Color, yet this is something we have the ability to change. Our goal is to support Vanessa’s Bistro by raising $40,000. If 200 of us gave $200.00 to this gofundme campaign, this would provide Vi enough capital to resolve accumulated deficits and keep her staff employed.
We are asking you to match our donation or give any amount you are comfortable with. Help us keep Vanessa’s Bistro the neighborhood community restaurant we will all come back to soon.
Please continue to order take-out directly from the restaurant and support Vi, Vanessa and the staff at Vanessa's Bistro.
Stay safe, healthy and we look forward to seeing you all at Vanessa's Bistro soon,
Familia De Mucha Flores
Co-organizers (2)
Martin De Mucha Flores
Organizer
Berkeley, CA
Aileen De Mucha Flores
Co-organizer