Winnipeg Chocolate Shop
We really do need your help. Many of you have asked us how you could help us. You have been with us through our frozen pipes, next door fires and other emergencies over the years. This time I ask for your financial help.
It is very humbling for me to ask you directly in this way upon the behalf of all of us at Chocolatier Constance Popp. We have no alternative as without your help, we will likely have to close our business permanently. We have been open during COVID-19 pandemic with reduced shop hours and reduced staff hours (one person laid off) as we know keeping going partially is better than closing fully for us at this time.
With the challenges of events cancelled including Winnipeg Folk Festival (big source of revenue for us during July and August) and reduced customer traffic in-shop (though our online sales/deliveries have increased) we are not making enough now and fore-see this to continue with the new phased-in measures straight through until September.
Our lender is requiring us to pay our hefty mortgage interest (though waived principle) and we have other fixed costs that we must pay over these next 4 months with significantly reduced revenue. Though helpful, only some Gov’t programs apply to us and taking on more debt to pay for this compounds our challenges.
We are asking for your help to assist us with some costs to help cover our mortgage, property taxes, staff wages and other costs (utilities, suppliers etc) for the months of May, June, July and August. In return, you will keep us going doing what we do best: make chocolate for you, keeping people employed, supporting our suppliers and enhancing our community. Anything over our targeted goal will go towards St. Boniface Streetlinks (Morberg House) and Save Our Seine.
As a gesture of our gratitude, we will share with you our special edition chocolate once we are in a position of strength again (Fall of 2020) for whatever donation you could contribute for us.
If you can contribute, wonderful and we thank you deeply, if you cannot, we will love you all the same anyway!
Thank you so much for sharing our joy of chocolate with you! ~Constance
