Friend and Foe Board Game Cafe Recovery
Donation protected
After reading Ashley's heart breaking post on facebook (https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10217300315889278&id=1514010102&sfnsn=mo ), I made this Go Fund Me in hopes it would help them with the financial aftermath that COVID-19 has caused their business.
"As most of you know, Friend & Foe has closed its’ doors, so I want to take the time to share some of our personal story in hopes of giving some perspective into what exactly this means to us and so many others who are going through the same thing.
Three out of five years of my marriage have been largely devoted to building this business. Though it has been exciting at times, let me be clear that this means well over half of our marriage has revolved around this wonderful, but also huge source of stress.
My daughter, Sloane, is three years old. My other daughter, Eloise, is one. Since the moment they were born they have been drug around to meetings with lawyers, brokers, landlords, and more. They have frantically been dropped off with grandparents, friends, neighbors, and babysitters. They have spent many long days at our cafe as we attempted to keep them entertained while we worked, most of the time unsuccessfully. They have listened to high stress conversations and strained voices. Worst of all, they have seen many tears stream down my face as I wondered how we would make it and how on Earth I could keep going. And of course, they are fine, but this has been their life so far.
I did not have a maternity leave with Eloise. I had her two weeks after our grand opening and was back at work with her a week later. I was tired. I was obviously not sleeping with a newborn at home and my body had not even began to recover, but we had no choice at that point and pushed through. A few months after having her I got a second job to supplement. I had no time to process this pregnancy or birth or going from one to two babies. But, I was doing it for something bigger than myself and I was willing to make these sacrifices for an end goal. It was certainly my choice to start down this road, but it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
We took a big risk starting this business, yes, but the economic shutdown from COVID-19 is what did us in. We made mistakes, yes, but those mistakes might have been rectified given different circumstances. We were a brand new business. We had only been open for 5 months when we were ordered to close. We had not even come close to our full potential-no business could in a mere 5 months. Unfortunately, new businesses like ours and even some very established and successful businesses can’t bounce back from what has happened and IS STILL happening seven months later. Government aid isn’t a reality for many of us.
So, as I said, Friend & Foe is closed just shortly after our one year birthday. This is not something we get to walk away from untouched and unscathed. I don’t have the option to just take it easy for a while. This is incredibly detrimental to us personally, emotionally and financially. We are mourning a loss after abundant heartache, sacrifice, and hard work.
I share these very personal things so that people reading can have some perspective. We represent millions of people who have given everything to a business they believed in-a business that was intended to benefit society, that is being ripped away, and for what? Small businesses represent people. They are families, they are children, they are parents. Small businesses are dying, families are suffering, and people are committing suicide with no hope. Lots of people. If you care about protecting others, then it’s important to be aware of this, especially considering the sheer number of sickness and deaths resulting from economic ruin. I want everyone to see what is happening beyond their own masks, beyond the media, and even beyond America. COVID is not the only pandemic we should be working together to cure, and it is certainly not the most deadly at this current time.
Please take this story seriously as my family recovers from this loss. Thanks for reading."
Brad and Ashley Davis and Corey Goodwin are the owners of Friend and Foe Board Game Cafe in Plano TX that had to close it's doors on Wednesday, October 21st. One year after opening. I have been an employee there since the beginning and it's been such an amazing journey to see this small business grow. It grew into a community where people could put their phones down, play a game and spend one on one time with friends and family. A community where you could sit down at a table create a friendship over the love of a game. A place where you could come get your favorite, one of a kind sandwich, baked with homemade bread or a slice of thee best cheesecake made by Ashley herself.
The owners of Friend and Foe poured everything into their business. They spent countless hours putting the needs of others before themselves. When the pandemic started, they created a Donate a Meal Program to feed medical workers at the Children's Hospital and came in early to make and deliver sandwiches. They did everything they could to keep the business going, only to have their dreams taken away from them as soon as it came and it's going to take so much for them to recover from this financially.
Friend and Foe was an amazing place to work and play, and I'm so glad I was able to be a part of it. Corey, Brad and Ashley have become family to so many of us and I'm hoping that the community that they created can come together and lend some love and support.
"As most of you know, Friend & Foe has closed its’ doors, so I want to take the time to share some of our personal story in hopes of giving some perspective into what exactly this means to us and so many others who are going through the same thing.
Three out of five years of my marriage have been largely devoted to building this business. Though it has been exciting at times, let me be clear that this means well over half of our marriage has revolved around this wonderful, but also huge source of stress.
My daughter, Sloane, is three years old. My other daughter, Eloise, is one. Since the moment they were born they have been drug around to meetings with lawyers, brokers, landlords, and more. They have frantically been dropped off with grandparents, friends, neighbors, and babysitters. They have spent many long days at our cafe as we attempted to keep them entertained while we worked, most of the time unsuccessfully. They have listened to high stress conversations and strained voices. Worst of all, they have seen many tears stream down my face as I wondered how we would make it and how on Earth I could keep going. And of course, they are fine, but this has been their life so far.
I did not have a maternity leave with Eloise. I had her two weeks after our grand opening and was back at work with her a week later. I was tired. I was obviously not sleeping with a newborn at home and my body had not even began to recover, but we had no choice at that point and pushed through. A few months after having her I got a second job to supplement. I had no time to process this pregnancy or birth or going from one to two babies. But, I was doing it for something bigger than myself and I was willing to make these sacrifices for an end goal. It was certainly my choice to start down this road, but it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
We took a big risk starting this business, yes, but the economic shutdown from COVID-19 is what did us in. We made mistakes, yes, but those mistakes might have been rectified given different circumstances. We were a brand new business. We had only been open for 5 months when we were ordered to close. We had not even come close to our full potential-no business could in a mere 5 months. Unfortunately, new businesses like ours and even some very established and successful businesses can’t bounce back from what has happened and IS STILL happening seven months later. Government aid isn’t a reality for many of us.
So, as I said, Friend & Foe is closed just shortly after our one year birthday. This is not something we get to walk away from untouched and unscathed. I don’t have the option to just take it easy for a while. This is incredibly detrimental to us personally, emotionally and financially. We are mourning a loss after abundant heartache, sacrifice, and hard work.
I share these very personal things so that people reading can have some perspective. We represent millions of people who have given everything to a business they believed in-a business that was intended to benefit society, that is being ripped away, and for what? Small businesses represent people. They are families, they are children, they are parents. Small businesses are dying, families are suffering, and people are committing suicide with no hope. Lots of people. If you care about protecting others, then it’s important to be aware of this, especially considering the sheer number of sickness and deaths resulting from economic ruin. I want everyone to see what is happening beyond their own masks, beyond the media, and even beyond America. COVID is not the only pandemic we should be working together to cure, and it is certainly not the most deadly at this current time.
Please take this story seriously as my family recovers from this loss. Thanks for reading."
Brad and Ashley Davis and Corey Goodwin are the owners of Friend and Foe Board Game Cafe in Plano TX that had to close it's doors on Wednesday, October 21st. One year after opening. I have been an employee there since the beginning and it's been such an amazing journey to see this small business grow. It grew into a community where people could put their phones down, play a game and spend one on one time with friends and family. A community where you could sit down at a table create a friendship over the love of a game. A place where you could come get your favorite, one of a kind sandwich, baked with homemade bread or a slice of thee best cheesecake made by Ashley herself.
The owners of Friend and Foe poured everything into their business. They spent countless hours putting the needs of others before themselves. When the pandemic started, they created a Donate a Meal Program to feed medical workers at the Children's Hospital and came in early to make and deliver sandwiches. They did everything they could to keep the business going, only to have their dreams taken away from them as soon as it came and it's going to take so much for them to recover from this financially.
Friend and Foe was an amazing place to work and play, and I'm so glad I was able to be a part of it. Corey, Brad and Ashley have become family to so many of us and I'm hoping that the community that they created can come together and lend some love and support.
Organizer and beneficiary
Michelle Lewis
Organizer
McKinney, TX
Corey Goodwin
Beneficiary