HELP THE ORIGINAL JUST-US CREW BUILD A FOOD TRUCK
Donation protected
Exciting news from the just/us crew!
The Story...
It's been a turbulent journey for us. If you're familiar with our story, feel free to scroll down to the next paragraph. A few years ago we opened a small, intimate, prix-fixe dinner restaurant with the intention of offering a fine dining experience that was affordable and approachable. Things were great for a while but about a year after opening, we were pushed out of our space by a large development company. We were crushed. We spent the next few months trying and eventually securing a new location in Lowertown, St. Paul. We then spent more than half a year getting through red tape, searching desperately for investors, crowdfunding, and dealing with major renovations in the historic space. We were so elated to FINALLY open our doors as a reimagined restaurant (nearly five times the size of our original location) with a full liquor bar and events venue. We put everything into the new location. And then the pandemic hit about 3 months after we opened. At the same time, a few of our founding members left the team. Saying we were blindsided would be an understatement. Those of us who remained tried modifying the business model and reducing staff size but couldn't keep up with overhead demands and payroll. COVID made it near impossible to sustain our vision. It broke our hearts to do it, but we walked away from the restaurant in November of 2020. The space in Lowertown now belongs solely to an investor and the just/us crew is no longer affiliated with it. We no longer control the just/us name or any equity in our original venture and the future of the restaurant is entirely out of our hands. It's a great loss but we have no choice but to look ahead.
The future...
Though we've been put through the ringer... we can't be kept down for long! We are so thrilled to share our next step with you. We scrounged our cash together and bought a food truck! Well, right now it's sort of just a truck. That's where you come in. We have called upon your kindness before and are asking once again for your support during this next phase.
Now that we've acquired the truck, we need your help transforming it into *fanfare* *drumroll* *etc* The Angry Line Cook - an operational kitchen on wheels! It's still the same old just/us crew, just with a different name. Your donations will be used to fill the truck with equipment, make the truck safe to cook in and serve out of, and customize the outside of the truck.
We'll be bringing a few just/us menu favorites back, in addition to lots of new items with a street food flair. We're working towards partnering with breweries, local events, and business parks to park & serve at all around the Twin Cities and maybe even beyond.
As mentioned above, we're aiming to get this truck built and licensed by this upcoming summer. With your help, we can make this the summer all of us deserve! The last year has been horrific and we could all use some respite and good food. Please give what you can and please consider sharing our campaign on your social media pages.
We miss serving you all, and the sense of community we all create through sharing laughter, conversation, and food that's truly made with love and intention. We've spent the last year grieving our losses, alchemizing our anger into productivity, counting our blessings, and trying to figure out how to navigate through extreme emotional ambivalence. The one resolve that's remained firm is that cooking food for all of you means everything to us and at times is the only thing that makes sense. Please help us achieve this dream. We already got the truck, so lets get this baby rolling together! We're nothing without our city, our supporters, and our faithful patrons. Thank you. We know times are tough for everyone but each donation, in any amount, is a HUGE help.
Find us on Facebook and Instagram @angrylinecookstp and follow along with us over the next few months as we document the build-out process. It's gonna be an adventure for all of us. <3
- The Angry Line Cook crew, formerly known as the just/us crew
The Story...It's been a turbulent journey for us. If you're familiar with our story, feel free to scroll down to the next paragraph. A few years ago we opened a small, intimate, prix-fixe dinner restaurant with the intention of offering a fine dining experience that was affordable and approachable. Things were great for a while but about a year after opening, we were pushed out of our space by a large development company. We were crushed. We spent the next few months trying and eventually securing a new location in Lowertown, St. Paul. We then spent more than half a year getting through red tape, searching desperately for investors, crowdfunding, and dealing with major renovations in the historic space. We were so elated to FINALLY open our doors as a reimagined restaurant (nearly five times the size of our original location) with a full liquor bar and events venue. We put everything into the new location. And then the pandemic hit about 3 months after we opened. At the same time, a few of our founding members left the team. Saying we were blindsided would be an understatement. Those of us who remained tried modifying the business model and reducing staff size but couldn't keep up with overhead demands and payroll. COVID made it near impossible to sustain our vision. It broke our hearts to do it, but we walked away from the restaurant in November of 2020. The space in Lowertown now belongs solely to an investor and the just/us crew is no longer affiliated with it. We no longer control the just/us name or any equity in our original venture and the future of the restaurant is entirely out of our hands. It's a great loss but we have no choice but to look ahead.
The future...
Though we've been put through the ringer... we can't be kept down for long! We are so thrilled to share our next step with you. We scrounged our cash together and bought a food truck! Well, right now it's sort of just a truck. That's where you come in. We have called upon your kindness before and are asking once again for your support during this next phase.
Now that we've acquired the truck, we need your help transforming it into *fanfare* *drumroll* *etc* The Angry Line Cook - an operational kitchen on wheels! It's still the same old just/us crew, just with a different name. Your donations will be used to fill the truck with equipment, make the truck safe to cook in and serve out of, and customize the outside of the truck.
We'll be bringing a few just/us menu favorites back, in addition to lots of new items with a street food flair. We're working towards partnering with breweries, local events, and business parks to park & serve at all around the Twin Cities and maybe even beyond.
As mentioned above, we're aiming to get this truck built and licensed by this upcoming summer. With your help, we can make this the summer all of us deserve! The last year has been horrific and we could all use some respite and good food. Please give what you can and please consider sharing our campaign on your social media pages.
We miss serving you all, and the sense of community we all create through sharing laughter, conversation, and food that's truly made with love and intention. We've spent the last year grieving our losses, alchemizing our anger into productivity, counting our blessings, and trying to figure out how to navigate through extreme emotional ambivalence. The one resolve that's remained firm is that cooking food for all of you means everything to us and at times is the only thing that makes sense. Please help us achieve this dream. We already got the truck, so lets get this baby rolling together! We're nothing without our city, our supporters, and our faithful patrons. Thank you. We know times are tough for everyone but each donation, in any amount, is a HUGE help.
Find us on Facebook and Instagram @angrylinecookstp and follow along with us over the next few months as we document the build-out process. It's gonna be an adventure for all of us. <3
- The Angry Line Cook crew, formerly known as the just/us crew
Fundraising team (5)
Mona Omni Negasi
Organizer
St. Paul, MN
Colby Swanson
Team member
Daniel Tomczak
Team member
Jesse Hedman
Team member
Liz Carlson
Team member