Save Silly Axe Cafe

A little over three years ago I set out on a mission to bring this city it's first dedicated gluten

free restaurant. I had been a personal chef for 10 years and a celiac diagnosis not only made my career almost impossible, it made me see that there are not nearly enough restaurants in any city for people with severe food allergies. I set out on a mission to not only give our city a gluten free restaurant but to also create a safe haven for people of allergies of all kinds.

I have succeeded in creating a community and a place for people to go who cannot go

anywhere else. On any given day you can walk into Silly Axe and find tables of people from across the country because people travel great distance to visit the place that is safe for them.

The past 2 years has been beyond trying. We made it through a pandemic unscathed but January of 2022 hit and we had our worst month ever. With covid numbers on the rise,

multiple employees getting sick at once, pipes freezing and causing us to close, ice

storms shutting us down, January set us back in a terrible way and we have yet to recover.

Food costs have risen dramatically and, while gluten free and allergen friendly food is

already expensive, the food costs are astrominomical.

September of 2021 we were approved for a Small Business recovery loan. This was to

come at a negligable interest rate and help us for the long run. Unfortanatly we have

waited patiently for this loan and two weeks ago we recieved word that the government

had suddenly stopped all covid relief and small business relief loans and our funds had

been exhausted. The email said they were sorry but there was nothing more they could

do. While we know that we are not alone in this plight as a restaurant owner right now, w we are alone in that we are the only gluten free/peanut/tree nut free restaurant in the city.

At this point we are struggling to continue another week and although we are ALWAYS

busy, business does not always equate success when you are faced with hurdles our

industry has never seen before. I have watched many gluten free restaurants across

the country close down suddenly recently due to covid and the aftermath. And when I

read the

posts, the most common thing I see is people asking why the restaurant didn't ask for

help. Why didn't they reach out? Then the community members always say that they

would have helped. So this is your chance.

This community needs Silly Axe and you all have shown me that time and time again.

I'm not ready to give up just yet but without a little help we cannot go on any more. I am

confident that with the right boost we will continue on and always be a valuable part of

this community. We just need some help getting through these rough times.

Thank you

Chef Angela