Article: Alexander Henden
L
ast winter, local restauranteurs George and Leo Christakos were looking to renovate their neighbourhood restaurant, Brooklyn Warehouse. They had some help coming from their landlord, but still needed another $30,000 for their end of the bargain. In the restaurant business, money doesn't grow on trees, especially in the dead of winter. So where would the money come from? The answer: crowdfunding. At the time the tactic raised a lot of eyebrows, as most Atlantic Canadians had never heard of the concept. But here was George and Leo, two local entrepreneurs, making a solid go of it. Looking back, the camaign was a clear success. Not only were the duo's financial objectives met, but something else happened, too. Last winter, the two Christakos' showed us how to engage people by including them in the process and making them part of something special. The Christakos designed a Crowdfunders Menu, with some truly unique offerings, like "Dinner for Two, twice a year for life," and more simple offerings like the "Lunch for Two and some Brooklyn Warehouse T-shirts". In the end, 100 people participated, 80 of which were from the same postal code as the restaurant. The community came together. Fast forward to 2013, and George and Leo are at it again, this time because they are doing a major kitchen renovation. As expected, there are some unique packages being offered, but this year there's even more for us. With the kitchen being shut down for a few weeks for renovations, Brooklyn Warehouse will be taking over the Nomad Gourmet food truck and treating Halifax to a unique 'street food' menu. It's something George Christakos has always wanted to do. We think it will be a fun few weeks for restaurant goers, and it's most certainly an innovative way of problem solving. â–ˆ
To get on board with the Brooklyn Warehouse crowfunding campaign, visit their website at: thekitchencrowd.blogspot.ca
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