Dear Kingston Staff Compensation

Dear Kingston suddenly closed on Monday 9/4 with no notice given to the staff. They received an email from the owner informing them that Sunday 9/3 was the last day of service and that the bar will not be reopening after only 5 months of operation. It was said that the building needs to be sold for personal reasons and that due to this the bar will need to close effective immediately. This left our staff devastated and confused. We've been busy and seemed like we were only gaining momentum. There was no sign of trouble relayed to the staff. None of us were given any time to find new employment and process what's happened. I'm starting this fundraiser as the senior staff member on behalf of the team.

Dear Kingston was built out to be a community driven neighborhood bar which I think was very successful. We had a tight community of regulars and staff who poured their hearts and souls into the space. For several of us, DK was the corner stone of our community in Kingston and meant a lot more than just a job to us. One of our staff members quit their full time job to come on full time with us, another prioritized staying in the area after loosing their housing rather than returning back home out of state with their family. Personally this bar has been my entire life for the last 6 months. We were very proud of the service we provided and the community that we gathered. To have this stripped away from us not only puts a huge financial burden on us, but also has turned our lives upside down.

I ask that you donate whatever you can to help our staff out over the next few weeks while we seek other jobs and resettle our lives. This money will be split between staff members in lieu of severance which there has been no word of us getting. This will help us sustain ourselves financially until we find new work and resettle our lives. The funds raised will be distributed proportionately to the staff based on their average payroll. Checks will be cut by me once the money has been collected. I love this crew so much and they deserve better than what ownership subjected them to. Thanks so much for anything you can do for us.

Conor Kennedy

Former Head Bartender of Dear Kingston