'Wich, Please Spring Fundraiser
Donation protected
In 2014, we did something pretty amazing. We raised enough money from over 400 backers to purchase and launch our food truck, called 'Wich, Please, in 2015.
With no experience in the food business, opening 'Wich, Please presented an enormous leap of faith. Would we be able to scale up our cooking to meet the demands of hundreds of customers each week? Would people like our food, a unique menu of creative sandwiches unavailable anywhere else in our city? And could we survive our first year, in a business notorious for failures?
I'm thrilled to report that the answer to (most of!) these questions was a resounding "yes." In our first month in operation, we acheived $12,000 in revenue. Within three months, we had reached the number one position on TripAdvisor, for "Best Restaurants in Rockland." And by the close of our first year, Eater had named us "Hottest Restaurant in Maine" for 2015.
But now, as we get ready to launch our second season, 'Wich, Please faces a bit of a crisis. The business is buried in debt, after a long, difficult winter, and we have balances due with several vendors (and employees!). One of our largest creditors is the city of Rockland, who has (quite understandably) made it clear that we won't be able to reopen in Buoy Park (one of the few locations in our city zoned for food trucks), until we clear our balance due from last year, which totals $2,500. Add liability insurance (which is about $900) and basic startup needs, like paper towels and fryer oil, and it's clear that we will not be able to continue without raising at least $4,000.
It feels like a real crossroads: I could close the doors to the truck, and chalk this up to a grand experience, where I got to spend nearly a year doing exactly what I love, for customers who seemed to like what we are doing. I could try moving away from Rockland, to a different city. Or, I can appeal directly to the generosity of our community for help.
We don't have business partners, or access to traditional financing. From the beginning, we've believed that if this project is to succeed, it's going to be because the people demanded it. We have a lot planned for 2016: An updated menu filled with new ideas, as well as a year's experience, teaching us how to increase our margins and make the financial side of this business make more sense, ensuring that we don't find ourselves in this position again.
Of course, we're not just asking for charity. Now that we actually have a food truck, we can "pre-sell" sandwiches to you, our supporters. Check out the various reward levels at the bottom of the page, each of which will reward you with free sandwiches limited only by how much you can spare, to get us back up off the ground.
We're looking forward to a wonderful second season. We just need your help getting the doors open. Thank you for continuing to believe in us.
With no experience in the food business, opening 'Wich, Please presented an enormous leap of faith. Would we be able to scale up our cooking to meet the demands of hundreds of customers each week? Would people like our food, a unique menu of creative sandwiches unavailable anywhere else in our city? And could we survive our first year, in a business notorious for failures?
I'm thrilled to report that the answer to (most of!) these questions was a resounding "yes." In our first month in operation, we acheived $12,000 in revenue. Within three months, we had reached the number one position on TripAdvisor, for "Best Restaurants in Rockland." And by the close of our first year, Eater had named us "Hottest Restaurant in Maine" for 2015.
But now, as we get ready to launch our second season, 'Wich, Please faces a bit of a crisis. The business is buried in debt, after a long, difficult winter, and we have balances due with several vendors (and employees!). One of our largest creditors is the city of Rockland, who has (quite understandably) made it clear that we won't be able to reopen in Buoy Park (one of the few locations in our city zoned for food trucks), until we clear our balance due from last year, which totals $2,500. Add liability insurance (which is about $900) and basic startup needs, like paper towels and fryer oil, and it's clear that we will not be able to continue without raising at least $4,000.
It feels like a real crossroads: I could close the doors to the truck, and chalk this up to a grand experience, where I got to spend nearly a year doing exactly what I love, for customers who seemed to like what we are doing. I could try moving away from Rockland, to a different city. Or, I can appeal directly to the generosity of our community for help.
We don't have business partners, or access to traditional financing. From the beginning, we've believed that if this project is to succeed, it's going to be because the people demanded it. We have a lot planned for 2016: An updated menu filled with new ideas, as well as a year's experience, teaching us how to increase our margins and make the financial side of this business make more sense, ensuring that we don't find ourselves in this position again.
Of course, we're not just asking for charity. Now that we actually have a food truck, we can "pre-sell" sandwiches to you, our supporters. Check out the various reward levels at the bottom of the page, each of which will reward you with free sandwiches limited only by how much you can spare, to get us back up off the ground.
We're looking forward to a wonderful second season. We just need your help getting the doors open. Thank you for continuing to believe in us.
Organizer
Malcolm Bedell
Organizer
Rockland, ME
