Sonny McLean's Pub Needs Your Help

Sonny McLean’s Irish Pub Needs Your Help



To our Sonny’s family:

As all of you are aware, Los Angeles County mandated we close our doors in March,
the day before our biggest day of the year (St. Patrick’s Day) due to COVID-19.
Despite receiving a PPP loan to cover short-term payroll for our fabulous staff, we
quickly depleted those funds. We also unfortunately still have rent, payroll, utilities
and all other expenses going unabated , draining our cash reserves. The first forced
closure was exceptionally difficult to survive; however, the recent restrictions on outdoor dining have been devastating to our struggling business.
Please share this using the Go Fund Me Portal, we'd sure appreciate it.

We are asking you today for your help to ensure Sonny’s survival.

We at Sonny’s are doing everything in our power to ensure your health and safety
during the pandemic and will continue to do so once it is behind us. We have gone
above and beyond health requirement protocol - spending thousands of dollars in
excess of what is required on materials, construction and training in order to make
Sonny’s as safe as possible.

When increased restrictions forced us to cease all indoor dining, we again spent
thousands of dollars to construct a safe, enjoyable outdoor dining area to
accommodate a small fraction of our normal capacity. To ensure everyone’s safety,
Sonny’s enacted spacing protocols that were 25% above state regulations.

While the vaccine has provided hope for 2021, the reality is a daily fight for survival. This fund-raising step has not been taken on lightly. We are taking this urgent action to protect our employees’ future, and the future of Sonny McLean’s for you -
our extended family, as well as the next generation of Sonny’s families.

We are asking for your support because failure is not an option. Sonny’s needs to
survive and your support may be the only way this happens. Sonny’s means so much to so many, us included. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for just reading and sharing this. If you can find room to help us reach our goal, we are truly gracious to you our Sonny’s Family. 

Cheers,

Grant & Joanie

 

The Sonny’s Story:

Sonny McLean’s Irish Pub was established in 1999 in Santa Monica, California. Grant Woods and Joanie O’Hara Woods took ownership in 2009 as true mom and pop
operators. With hard work, they created a true neighborhood pub where everyone
feels welcome as family. Grant and Joanie are proud people. The decision to reach
out to you for help was a difficult one for them, however, the financial reality has left them with no other options.

The Sonny’s staff is family and customers are extended family. Most people in town
know Sonny’s as the lifeblood and home away from home for relocated New England and Boston sports fans. Providing a little taste of home has been a big part of why Sonny’s customer base is so loyal. The pub has hosted countless ex-professional athletes, and even the Red Sox World Series Trophy. Boston fans know that Sonny’s is the
place to watch the game with friends.

Outside of sporting events, the pub is a vibrant part of the local community. In
addition to film festivals and weekly performances from local musicians, Sonny’s
regularly hosts baby showers, birthdays, graduations, wedding showers (and divorce parties), going away events, retirement dinners (Santa Monica Fire
Departments’ are some of the favorites!) and heartfelt memorials for friends and
locals lost and mourned. The pub has several multi-generational families that are
regular customers. From cradle to grave, Sonny’s is and always has been an inclusive neighborhood pub to celebrate life’s special moments.

With your help today, there will be many more to come.