Helping Businesses Recover After the Riots

Pat Kelly and Larry Berg

The year 2020 was a very difficult year for many. First, the pandemic led to many individuals being laid off or having their hours cut. The civil unrest following the killing of George Floyd left many small businesses in the heart the Twin Cities damaged or destroyed. Sometimes, adversity inspires courageous individuals to take a leap of faith to start something new and leads others to follow their dreams and assist others.

Abi's Café Entre

Abi’s Café had served Salvadoran and Mexican food at its Minneapolis location since 2015. Unable to stay in the same location, Abi was fortunate to find new space but needed help reviewing a new lease prior to signing. Pat Kelly initially assisted by reviewing and revising Abi’s lease for her new space. The negotiations included terms and conditions concerning a necessary build out and repairs. Once the work began and the walls were removed, significant hidden defects and problems were revealed. Pipes had broken, damaging the walls and floors, mounds of debris were discovered and had to be removed and the entire space needed to be commercially cleaned and sanitized. Larry Berg negotiated an abatement of two months’ rent, which will be added to the end of the lease, which gave the landlord time to fix issues while giving Abi some relief from having to pay rent and pay for repairs or improvements.

Abi’s Café billboard in progress at her new location