FP Noodle Bar Relief Fund
Donation protected
Covid19 has hit my industry hard and close to my heart. My close friend and former Chef de Cuisine, Dustin, and his wife Brie both set out to pursue their dream of opening their own restaurant. I was thrilled to see one of my former chefs achieve that. Being there on opening night was so special. To see the hard work that team put into every detail of the restaurant from the plates, the communal table with that incredible light fixture, to the food and drink was just so amazing. Then I got a call from Dustin telling me they were closing, I was gutted. I knew how much this meant to him and how much they risked. Many of you know Dustin and Brie and you all know how kind and wonderful they are. I'm asking anyone that can to help me help them. I know times are difficult for so many of us, any little bit would be appreciated. ~Chef Jorge Guzmán
Words from Chef Dustin
"Some say you don’t choose the restaurant industry, the restaurant industry chooses you. It is a fickle industry, having equal capacity for exalted joy and utter heartbreak. After spending most of our adult lives devoted to food and hospitality, Brie and I, along with our friends Peter and Zoa, picked up our Minneapolis roots and relocated to La Crosse, WI. Hoping to cultivate some of that joy and comfort in a restaurant of our own, we sought to open a space with a personality and a perspective - a place that was unabashedly us.
After doing much of the buildout ourselves, Fat Porcupine opened the doors in December of 2019 and for a brief few months it felt as though things might be aligning in our favor. The restaurant was bustling with that oh-so-joyful din we had been seeking; our staff was coming together as the restaurant family we had hoped for; we had to work hard not to run out of ramen! But, unfortunately, the COVID-19 crisis stopped our momentum in its tracks. As a baby restaurant, we hadn’t even begun to pay our loans before our revenue stream was slashed to about 14% of our pre-COVID level. We worked hard to re-envision our model, seeking all possibilities to keep the restaurant afloat while maintaining safety for our guests and team. This new model always had an expiration date. We were trying to make it as long as possible, hoping for a larger intervention that might be a lifeline for us. We were lucky enough to receive some government assistance, but it just wasn’t enough. We had to make the heartbreaking decision that this was the end of the line.
Making this dream possible involved a substantial financial investment, and my family stepped forward to take on a large portion of that burden. Through a series of home equity lines of credit Curt and Judy Thompson (my parents) were able to raise over $100,000 to get the project started and offered it to our team as a low interest loan. Now, due to the pandemic, they are out all of that money. We’re asking for your help to start repaying their generosity and support. ALL money raised will be donated directly to Curt and Judy to apply toward the large debt load they have taken on."
Words from Chef Dustin
"Some say you don’t choose the restaurant industry, the restaurant industry chooses you. It is a fickle industry, having equal capacity for exalted joy and utter heartbreak. After spending most of our adult lives devoted to food and hospitality, Brie and I, along with our friends Peter and Zoa, picked up our Minneapolis roots and relocated to La Crosse, WI. Hoping to cultivate some of that joy and comfort in a restaurant of our own, we sought to open a space with a personality and a perspective - a place that was unabashedly us.
After doing much of the buildout ourselves, Fat Porcupine opened the doors in December of 2019 and for a brief few months it felt as though things might be aligning in our favor. The restaurant was bustling with that oh-so-joyful din we had been seeking; our staff was coming together as the restaurant family we had hoped for; we had to work hard not to run out of ramen! But, unfortunately, the COVID-19 crisis stopped our momentum in its tracks. As a baby restaurant, we hadn’t even begun to pay our loans before our revenue stream was slashed to about 14% of our pre-COVID level. We worked hard to re-envision our model, seeking all possibilities to keep the restaurant afloat while maintaining safety for our guests and team. This new model always had an expiration date. We were trying to make it as long as possible, hoping for a larger intervention that might be a lifeline for us. We were lucky enough to receive some government assistance, but it just wasn’t enough. We had to make the heartbreaking decision that this was the end of the line.
Making this dream possible involved a substantial financial investment, and my family stepped forward to take on a large portion of that burden. Through a series of home equity lines of credit Curt and Judy Thompson (my parents) were able to raise over $100,000 to get the project started and offered it to our team as a low interest loan. Now, due to the pandemic, they are out all of that money. We’re asking for your help to start repaying their generosity and support. ALL money raised will be donated directly to Curt and Judy to apply toward the large debt load they have taken on."
Co-organizers (3)
Jorge Guzman
Organizer
Minneapolis, MN
Dustin Thompson
Beneficiary
Brie Roland
Co-organizer