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The Village Cafe

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Help Cover the Startup Costs of The Village Cafe, an Inclusive, Community-Minded Cafe!


Summary
     
     We are a team of young men from Washington, D.C. who believe that entrepreneurship, access to quality food, and strong community spaces are critical ingredients of a healthy, prosperous place.

      For the past several months, we have been working towards creating, The Village, a center, and market that exemplifies these three elements of a strong community. And after sharing our mission with dozens of culinary and civic leaders across the city, a local real estate developer has decided to give us an amazing opportunity. We will be given a small space, rent-free, on the first floor of a commercial building adjacent to Union Market where we can operate our own cafe.

      Obviously, this is an amazing opportunity to not only start a business, but help us take the first step towards our team’s long-term mission of creating physical spaces where knowledge is exchanged, innovation is cultivated, and nutritious, quality food is made accessible and affordable.


What Will The Village Cafe Look Like?
     
     There are a lot of coffee shops in D.C. but we want to make The Vill-Age Cafe something special -- a community-oriented business that truly lives up to its name.


If we meet our fundraising goal, here is what you can expect from The Village Cafe when it opens its doors:
1. Healthy and affordable food and drinks, crafted primarily with locally-sourced ingredients
2. Events that offer local creatives and entrepreneurs an affordable platform to showcase their work and connect with others
3. Workshops that allow for knowledge to be exchanged and developed, creating a space where anyone can come learn about topics such as business, personal finance, and general life skills


Our Long-Term Mission

     Many of us grew up in these communities and have lived through the challenges they continue to face. We know what it’s like to travel miles to get to the closest grocery store, only to find foods on the brink of expiration. We’ve experienced the difficulty of finding quality jobs in our own neighborhoods, while other areas in our city sustain robust economic growth.

     We’ve wondered why, despite the city’s recent growth, many residents still struggle to build wealth. We’ve wondered why many neighborhoods still lack basic commercial and cultural amenities. And we’ve wondered what tangible action we can take to be a part of a sustainable solution.

     Having spent the last few years working in the food industry, as baristas, cooks, and managers, we’ve not only learned the ins and outs of the food business but have reflected upon the challenges faced by our own communities in the District.

     Within the next five years, we hope to expand The Village east of the Anacostia River, with an ultimate goal of creating an inclusive culinary incubator that will serve as both an affordable space where small businesses grow and a community hub where people can work, learn, and collaborate.

     This is why The Vill-Age Cafe is about more than just fresh coffee and delicious, healthy food. It’s about taking a huge first step towards the creation of a virtuous circle of knowledge sharing, social connection, and wealth creation for the people who need it the most.


Your Impact

     We’re already unbelievably honored and grateful that a local development company has enough confidence in our team to give us rent-free space on the first floor of a newly-renovated building adjacent to Union Market. However, we still need your support to take advantage of this opportunity. We simply don’t have the capital to purchase basic equipment and supplies, or the savings to sustain ourselves through the first several months of the business, which is scheduled to open May 01, 2018.

     So we created this GoFundMe to share our story and kindly ask you to support this endeavor in any way you can. Anything that can be donated, gets us one step closer. Simply sharing this link or mentioning The Vill-Age to a friend can make a big difference.

     We thank you again for your support and love, and we hope to see you at The Village Cafe this summer.

- The Village Team (info@vill-age.com)
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Donations 

  • Anonymous
    • $10 
    • 5 yrs
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Organizer

The Village Cafe
Organizer
Washington D.C., DC

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