Start-Up Restaurateurs Need Help
Donation protected
Hello! We are Dan and Sarah, new operators of Mr. Roberts Resort and Restaurant in Pengilly, MN.
We are a unique combination of a full service restaurant, bar, cabins, and RV hook-ups all situated in a bucolic setting in Northern Minnesota. We offer quality, 100% from-scratch cooking, craft cocktails, and cabin rentals in a clean, welcoming environment. At Mr. Roberts we seek to achieve a low carbon footprint by supporting our local farmers and foragers by buying local, organic products whenever possible. We also maintain a staff of 12 employees in a region of the state that is economically challenged due to an unpredictable iron ore mining industry.
A hearty reception and incredibly busy summer right after we opened has shown us that the demand for quality food and cocktails is high in the area. We are repeatedly thanked for opening such an establishment and have many return and new customers coming to our doorstep each day.
However, we have learned that the Northern Minnesota winters are harsh and unforgiving for business owners. We did not have enough snow to entice snowmobilers out to our resort, but had enough inclement weather to keep automobiles from making the minimum 20-mile trek from the nearest cities. With a last-minute denial of our loan to outright buy the resort, we relied on savings for start-up costs, remodel, and equipment. This left us with little-to-no funding to get us through the tough winter. We back-owe 4 months-worth of mortgage payments and got the news last week that if we can’t pay in full by the end of June, the doors to our beautiful restaurant and resort will be shuttered and we will lose everything we have worked so hard to achieve this past year.
We have attempted to reach out to financial institutions, the SBA, and anyone that might give us a line of credit, to no avail. Our start-up costs the first year were too high for us to show a profit at the bottom line and we've exhausted both of our credits, so we have repeatedly and frustratingly been turned down again and again. Our landlord, purveyors, and contractors are pushing us for payment and with summer just beginning, we don’t have the savings in place to give them what they need to keep utilities on, food coming in, and our doors open.
We are at a critical juncture now and need to swallow our pride to ask you for help to keep Mr. Roberts alive.
Our target is to set a goal to meet our immediate needs while we turn our focus to self-sustainability as the summer goes on. We understand this need is significant in such a short amount of time, but every little bit counts towards keeping our dream alive. We are also not opposed to alternative ideas, such as private party loans or equity investment opportunities.
We need this assistance to help keep our doors open.
Our decision to ask friends, family, our valued customers, and loyal fans has not come lightly to either of us, but our backs are against the wall and we have nowhere else to turn.
Please help us keep Mr. Roberts a unique place to dine and vacation on the Iron Range by sharing our story and/or donating to our goal today. We hope to keep serving our surrounding community for years to come.
Thank you for your consideration.
Dan & Sarah
Mr Roberts Restaurant Facebook Page
We are a unique combination of a full service restaurant, bar, cabins, and RV hook-ups all situated in a bucolic setting in Northern Minnesota. We offer quality, 100% from-scratch cooking, craft cocktails, and cabin rentals in a clean, welcoming environment. At Mr. Roberts we seek to achieve a low carbon footprint by supporting our local farmers and foragers by buying local, organic products whenever possible. We also maintain a staff of 12 employees in a region of the state that is economically challenged due to an unpredictable iron ore mining industry.
A hearty reception and incredibly busy summer right after we opened has shown us that the demand for quality food and cocktails is high in the area. We are repeatedly thanked for opening such an establishment and have many return and new customers coming to our doorstep each day.
However, we have learned that the Northern Minnesota winters are harsh and unforgiving for business owners. We did not have enough snow to entice snowmobilers out to our resort, but had enough inclement weather to keep automobiles from making the minimum 20-mile trek from the nearest cities. With a last-minute denial of our loan to outright buy the resort, we relied on savings for start-up costs, remodel, and equipment. This left us with little-to-no funding to get us through the tough winter. We back-owe 4 months-worth of mortgage payments and got the news last week that if we can’t pay in full by the end of June, the doors to our beautiful restaurant and resort will be shuttered and we will lose everything we have worked so hard to achieve this past year.
We have attempted to reach out to financial institutions, the SBA, and anyone that might give us a line of credit, to no avail. Our start-up costs the first year were too high for us to show a profit at the bottom line and we've exhausted both of our credits, so we have repeatedly and frustratingly been turned down again and again. Our landlord, purveyors, and contractors are pushing us for payment and with summer just beginning, we don’t have the savings in place to give them what they need to keep utilities on, food coming in, and our doors open.
We are at a critical juncture now and need to swallow our pride to ask you for help to keep Mr. Roberts alive.
Our target is to set a goal to meet our immediate needs while we turn our focus to self-sustainability as the summer goes on. We understand this need is significant in such a short amount of time, but every little bit counts towards keeping our dream alive. We are also not opposed to alternative ideas, such as private party loans or equity investment opportunities.
We need this assistance to help keep our doors open.
Our decision to ask friends, family, our valued customers, and loyal fans has not come lightly to either of us, but our backs are against the wall and we have nowhere else to turn.
Please help us keep Mr. Roberts a unique place to dine and vacation on the Iron Range by sharing our story and/or donating to our goal today. We hope to keep serving our surrounding community for years to come.
Thank you for your consideration.
Dan & Sarah
Mr Roberts Restaurant Facebook Page
Organizer
Dan Beckwith
Organizer
Cooley, MN