Stuffy's II Restaurant (ONLY & OFFICIAL)

My husband and I opened Stuffy's in April of 1988 in a small strip mall space in Kelso.
The day we opened the customers packed us out and didn't stop. We were able to take over the lease of all the spaces of the strip mall and knock down the walls for more seating, thinking that would accommodate our customer size better. But the more we grew, the more people came.
We got the opportunity to move to where we are now, which is double the capacity. We were nervous as ever. But just like before, the customers filled us up! 

We have made it through a lot throughout the years, but the Governor's orders of shutting our inside dining down, not once but twice, almost broke  us. 

During the first shut down, we were not making enough to pay our payroll or overhead costs.
For our rent & utilities alone each month it costs over $10,000 per month. 
That does not include our payroll, food cost, other business expenses, biweekly payroll taxes, monthly B&O taxes, quarterly taxes, etc.

We had to drain personal accounts until we were granted PPP of $200,000. That equals to 2.5 months of our payroll.
When we got the funds we paid our employees hazard pay and hired as many staff back as we could. The money we got was only a grant if we used the funds on payroll, rent & utilities and we had to use it within 8 weeks. anything used after that time has to be paid back. The money definetly helped us, considering we were not doing enough in to go sales to pay our payroll.  

In May, we were allowed to open at 50% capacity. We were barley breaking even. The loan and the rest of the money was running out. 

On November 15th, Governor Inslee made an announcement that restaurants would be shut down for indoor dining effective November 18th.
After laying off over 90% of our employees, we still were not making enough money to pay our staff each day.

We had picnic tables and tents for out door seating and we were trying different promotional ideas to make our to go sales increase to at least pay our overhead.

We applied for the Working Washington Grant that the Governor said was going to be going available the day the application was posted on December 2nd, and we have still yet to hear back.

On December 6th, after every day of not making enough money to pay our payroll each day, and after hearing that the majority of our employees that we had to lay off, were still not getting their unemployment, we looked at our bank accounts and knew that we could not make it another day.

We talked to our employees, and  we made the tough, risky, decision to open our doors for dine-in seating & full service business.
Not only were we struggling  but our employees were struggling more.

It had come down to the point where we shut our doors  and call it quits after 32 years of proudly serving the community, or we fight.

We  made the decision over closing that we are fighting.

This is not just about us as the owners struggling, this is about our Stuffy's family.

We have been following reccommended protocol as before the last shut down.

50% capacity.
Tables 6' apart.
Staff is wearing masks.
Constant sanitizing.
Togo orders still available.

We are raising funds for any needed legal expenses, costs of the fight, and if comes to it, emergency operating expenses. 

Please know that we are NOT raising money to pay fines to L&I.

After this is over, our plan is to donate the remainder to other local struggling small businesses. 

We want to thank you all your support, it means the world to us!