Crooks Coffee is here to STAY
Donation protected
Boy, did we ever pick the right set of disasters to start a business in!
When we first “broke ground” on converting an old skate shop into one of Sonoma County’s favorite coffee shops, we knew our plans were ambitious. Our family has always been working class to its core, so rather than angel investors or SBA loans, our seed money came directly from our 401(k)’s. It was a dangerous risk, but seeing what Crooks Coffee has become, it’s one we will never regret. Faith in our family’s ability to endure and triumph remains our only collateral.
Our family has endured countless tests over the years through its faith in its members. Through Crooks Coffee, we have come to share this faith with our greater community. The work of designing the shop’s layout, setting up our kitchen, and building most of our furniture was done through our own sweat equity.
Then the fires came. When the California firestorms of 2017 devastated our community, we were mid-way through our buildout, just three months away from our grand opening. Instead of a coffee shop, we turned our space into a temporary donation center for fire victims.
As the ashes settled, and our community began to rebuild, the permitting process for new business construction very understandably sent us to the back of the line behind our neighbors who lost their homes. The additional months of renting an unfinished downtown storefront would have destroyed most upstarts, but the gracious assistance of our broader community propelled us to a triumphant opening.
As much as we’d love to pat ourselves on the back and tell the story of how our mighty family defeated every challenge before it, we had a lot of help along the way. Crooks Coffee isn’t a story about our family, it’s about our community. The same community of friends, family, fellow businesses, and the city of Santa Rosa who came through for us during the fires and became our regular customers as soon as we opened for business. In eighteen short months, we’ve become a local favorite and a staple for downtown Santa Rosa. It’s been an exhausting ride, but we have persevered!
Now, just a year and a half in, Crooks Coffee is facing its greatest threat. Although we’re proud to call ourselves a successful, independent small business, Crooks simply hasn’t had the time to generate enough profits to endure an economic slowdown of this degree. Crooks Coffee is now the primary source of income for our family’s four households and eight employees. We’ve distinguished ourselves as a family-owned alternative, and we have every intention of keeping it that way.
We appreciate how many of you are facing far worse circumstances than we are, and it has always been a part of Crook’s mission to give back to the community wherever we can. For those of you who are faring better than most despite this collective downturn, we humbly ask you consider donating to the cause of keeping this vital locally-owned small business afloat so that we can once again rise from the ashes.
Sonoma County is our home. We’re not going anywhere.
When we first “broke ground” on converting an old skate shop into one of Sonoma County’s favorite coffee shops, we knew our plans were ambitious. Our family has always been working class to its core, so rather than angel investors or SBA loans, our seed money came directly from our 401(k)’s. It was a dangerous risk, but seeing what Crooks Coffee has become, it’s one we will never regret. Faith in our family’s ability to endure and triumph remains our only collateral.
Our family has endured countless tests over the years through its faith in its members. Through Crooks Coffee, we have come to share this faith with our greater community. The work of designing the shop’s layout, setting up our kitchen, and building most of our furniture was done through our own sweat equity.
Then the fires came. When the California firestorms of 2017 devastated our community, we were mid-way through our buildout, just three months away from our grand opening. Instead of a coffee shop, we turned our space into a temporary donation center for fire victims.
As the ashes settled, and our community began to rebuild, the permitting process for new business construction very understandably sent us to the back of the line behind our neighbors who lost their homes. The additional months of renting an unfinished downtown storefront would have destroyed most upstarts, but the gracious assistance of our broader community propelled us to a triumphant opening.
As much as we’d love to pat ourselves on the back and tell the story of how our mighty family defeated every challenge before it, we had a lot of help along the way. Crooks Coffee isn’t a story about our family, it’s about our community. The same community of friends, family, fellow businesses, and the city of Santa Rosa who came through for us during the fires and became our regular customers as soon as we opened for business. In eighteen short months, we’ve become a local favorite and a staple for downtown Santa Rosa. It’s been an exhausting ride, but we have persevered!
Now, just a year and a half in, Crooks Coffee is facing its greatest threat. Although we’re proud to call ourselves a successful, independent small business, Crooks simply hasn’t had the time to generate enough profits to endure an economic slowdown of this degree. Crooks Coffee is now the primary source of income for our family’s four households and eight employees. We’ve distinguished ourselves as a family-owned alternative, and we have every intention of keeping it that way.
We appreciate how many of you are facing far worse circumstances than we are, and it has always been a part of Crook’s mission to give back to the community wherever we can. For those of you who are faring better than most despite this collective downturn, we humbly ask you consider donating to the cause of keeping this vital locally-owned small business afloat so that we can once again rise from the ashes.
Sonoma County is our home. We’re not going anywhere.
Organizer and beneficiary
Crooks Coffee
Organizer
Santa Rosa, CA
Cody Brown
Beneficiary