Two restaurants, in two different cities, were on the verge of closing due to mounting financial difficulties. Just in the nick of time, they were rescued by a successful crowdfunding effort.
Owner John-Eric Concordia said, “I posted the bat signal and requested a GoFundMe from anyone who could spot us for a brief period of time.”
The Park’s Finest, a barbecue restaurant with a Filipino twist, is owned by Concordia and is located close to Angelino Heights and Historic Filipinotown.
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He launched the business ten years ago, and it quickly grew into a thriving catering operation—until the pandemic struck.
I had to lay off staff; Concordia
In the midst of the pandemic’s hardships, when many eateries and businesses were closing their doors, Concordia managed to stay open by providing food for vital staff.
Concordia’s restaurant survived the storm, but the scorching heat wave in September forced it to close.
“The electricity went out on September 1st,” he explained. “The following week, at the height of the heat wave, we experienced days of blackouts, restorations, and blackouts once again. A total of five days went missing. “
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Because of inflation and losing thousands of dollars every day, Concordia had no choice but to ask her neighbours for help.
He claimed, “The neighbourhood is what kept me alive.” The people here are what saved my life.”
Similar events occur when the heroes arrive to save a cafe in Sierra Madre.
“It had closed down and was essentially bankrupt. That settled it, ” Bean Town’s proprietor, David Bremer, made this statement. And a company that had been around for close to 30 years was rapidly failing.
Bremer said that the pandemic was to blame, but a car accident in the middle of Bean Town made things even worse.
As Bremer put it: “I hit two cars, missed a couple customers by inches, and crashed through the store’s front door. For ten months, we couldn’t open our doors.”
Although they reopened, Bremer claims that a lack of staff and rising prices ultimately proved to be too much. But two of his most devoted customers came through for him when he needed them most and created a fundraising page.
“Hordes” of People
Bremer has called this place the “living room of Sierra Madre,” and the patrons have helped keep it alive for the time being.
It’s more than just money to us,” he clarified. “Our resources are almost entirely recycled back into it. To put it simply, this is a labour of love.”
The situation is still dire for Park’s Finest and Bean Town. Chicago / Bean Town The business owners expressed their desire for continued patronage.
