Here is a sampling of the local food entrepreneurs that have recently contacted us about their exciting projects. Please let us know if you would like to meet with any of these entrepreneurs to talk to them, see their farm or enterprise, and learn more about their needs for affordable community capital.
CHATHAM COUNTY
In Pittsboro, Bella Donna Italian Restaurant is moving to their new location so that they can expand their business. Donna sources much of her food locally and is hoping to purchase the old Pizza Hut which will give her more space, and a location that is on a major thoroughfare.
In Siler City, a local restaurateur is opening Succotashed, a new farm-to-fork cafe serving food made from the abundance of local meats and produce grown in the area. They need help purchasing the equipment needed to upfit their space.
RALEIGH/DURHAM/CHAPEL HILL
Market Restaurant in Raleigh is expanding – revitalizing a much larger location a few blocks from the restaurant and creating a neighborhood farm-to-grocery store by working closely with their neighbor - Raleigh City Farm. The new location will include Market restaurant and grocery store as well as Escazu Chocolate, Yellow Dog Bakery, and a local leather artisan.
The Farmery – Ben Green’s innovative urban farm and market constructed from shipping containers, projected for Durham. You can see pictures, read about it, and even help him right now at
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/farmery/the-farmery.
A local chef and his wife would like to open Roby’s Cafe, a small cafe/market in the Fuquay-Varina area. They plan to feature local products such as sauces, salsas, and produce, with a cooler in the front for people to pick up meat on their way home, similar to a mini-butcher shop. They would also carry specialty bottled craft beer and wines. The cafe side would serve the products on display from the retail side. Their menu would be seasonal and small, and best of all – support their local farmers.
EFLAND
A small farmer is expanding his production and needs a greenhouse, walk-behind-tiller and part-time labor to meet the growing demand for his products.
MOORE COUNTY
Jason and Sarah Smith, of Fox Squirrel Farm supply food to folks in Moore County. This season they added a large number of new animals – 300 chickens, 16 pigs, and some goats. Now that these animals are approaching market size, they need a way to properly transport these animals to market. They need an enclosed trailer with freezer space, a generator to power the freezers, and approved crates that will allow us to properly transport animals to the processor. They expect to pay their loan back in the first year.
WESTERN NC
An experienced chef and baker duo are opening All Souls Pizza in Asheville, a new restaurant focused on from-scratch pizzas made with locally sourced ingredients.
Leading Green Distributing, out of Asheville is in its 5th year of business providing refrigerated deliveries for farmers and sourcing local products for chefs. An additional refrigerated truck will help them meet the growing demand for their services.
A family farm in Forsythe County needs help purchasing a walk behind tractor for their mushroom and produce fields.
THE COAST
Tamashii – a sustainable sushi and spoons restaurant in Wilmington - “This summer I opened North Carolina’s (and currently the east coast’s) first sustainable sushi restaurant and spoon bar. Focusing on line caught and mostly local seafood, with regional and local produce, our food is both inviting and delicious. The spoon bar will be tasting size portions presented on a spoon. The cuisine will include ceviche, poke, sushi, sashimi, and tartare. Moreover…aside from being farm to table and sustainable, the entire restaurant will be eco-friendly with metal chopsticks, bio-degradable take out containers, use of glass containers for sauce storage versus plastics, recycling of used oil, and furniture made from recycled materials. I want to start a sushi revolution, the sustainable sushi revolution!”
A farm store and goat dairy in Bolivia needs to buy new equipment to expand their business.
Would you like to make a Pledge? - We are always happy to see pledges come in from interested potential lenders. That drives us to find more local food entrepreneurs with viable capital needs that we can all assist if possible. This is not a commitment of any kind, just a way for us to help you connect with local food entrepreneurs. We are a largely volunteer effort, so please be patient if we do not respond to you immediately!
Thanks for being part of this historical Slow Money movement that is catalyzing the flow of local dollars to local food projects that benefits us all.
If you’d like more information about how to make or receive a loan, just let us know!
