Save Smoke Berkeley
Donation protected
Smoke Berkeley has found a new kitchen in Berkeley! Now, we need your help to raise $5,000 so we can pay for and move into our new space.
We reached our $10,000 goal on Kiva and we thank everyone who lent to us for your extraordinary generosity. If you didn't get a chance to give to us on Kiva, or would like to give more, we're in need of some more help.
I opened Smoke Berkeley because I wanted to use my formal culinary education to bring the Texas BBQ that I was raised on to the Bay Area. Since we opened in 2011, our affordable and delicious food made fresh each day has become a staple of our East Bay community. In addition to our retail operation we cater to companies like Pixar Studios in Emeryville, to non-profits like the Native American Health Center in Oakland, and to the Haas Business School at UC Berkeley.
At Smoke Berkeley, I employ people who were formerly incarcerated. They often struggle to find work because of their records and we give them another chance. My employees and I have been featured on A Good Hire/ Lawyers Committee For Civil Rights Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDCXYRYFhqY. KTVU and KQED both did stories on our newest hire, Joel McCarter, from Quentin (San Quentin) Cooks culinary program and Smoke Berkeley.
KQED's Check Please did a program featuring Smoke Berkeley. We had a line down the block for six weeks. This is the Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r5GWb_5W-g
My team and I just did 600 “bites” at Check Please's Sip and Taste Gala Fundraiser. We expect that they will do another episode on Smoke Berkeley when we move into our new location.
Despite our loyal customers and the new customers who visit our restaurant every day, it has been a struggle to find a new location in the increasingly expensive East Bay.
Smoke Berkeley is an authentic BBQ restaurant beloved by the Berkeley community. After 7 successful years serving the East Bay community we are being gentrified out of our location. We have found a new space nearby. This money will help us move into our new location and cover our first payments.
We reached our $10,000 goal on Kiva and we thank everyone who lent to us for your extraordinary generosity. If you didn't get a chance to give to us on Kiva, or would like to give more, we're in need of some more help.
I opened Smoke Berkeley because I wanted to use my formal culinary education to bring the Texas BBQ that I was raised on to the Bay Area. Since we opened in 2011, our affordable and delicious food made fresh each day has become a staple of our East Bay community. In addition to our retail operation we cater to companies like Pixar Studios in Emeryville, to non-profits like the Native American Health Center in Oakland, and to the Haas Business School at UC Berkeley.
At Smoke Berkeley, I employ people who were formerly incarcerated. They often struggle to find work because of their records and we give them another chance. My employees and I have been featured on A Good Hire/ Lawyers Committee For Civil Rights Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDCXYRYFhqY. KTVU and KQED both did stories on our newest hire, Joel McCarter, from Quentin (San Quentin) Cooks culinary program and Smoke Berkeley.
KQED's Check Please did a program featuring Smoke Berkeley. We had a line down the block for six weeks. This is the Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r5GWb_5W-g
My team and I just did 600 “bites” at Check Please's Sip and Taste Gala Fundraiser. We expect that they will do another episode on Smoke Berkeley when we move into our new location.
Despite our loyal customers and the new customers who visit our restaurant every day, it has been a struggle to find a new location in the increasingly expensive East Bay.
Smoke Berkeley is an authentic BBQ restaurant beloved by the Berkeley community. After 7 successful years serving the East Bay community we are being gentrified out of our location. We have found a new space nearby. This money will help us move into our new location and cover our first payments.
Organizer
Tina Ferguson-Riffe
Organizer
Berkeley, CA
