WHO AM I? I am Denise Cohen and for the past
25 years I have headed the management teams of two of the most popular Lesbian restaurants/nightclubs
on the east coast (Hepburn’s and Sisters). Every event
I run or attend, I am asked over and over, when will we get a new place? For
nearly a year now I have been trying every option I could think of to make that
happen and now there is a plan in place and with the help of our Community, Friends and
Family it is time to bring a new LGBT space to Philly and put the L back into the LGBT daily bar/restaurant operations.
WHY THIS TYPE OF FUNDING CAMPAIGN: Banks are not overly interested in funding
restaurants/bars let alone a space that has a target audience of LGBT clientele.
Nor do we have the luxury of time to keep submitting a plan until a bank
approves the loan needed to open a place (as we have a target space in mind). Many investors I have spoken to don’t
want to invest in this project because of the closing of our last space however I
have found a team that is interested in helping make this project a reality but
before they will invest any funds they must see that we have raised our own and
that our community is there to support this project.
So with this campaign we turn to the Lesbian and Gay COMMUNITY and FRIENDS & FAMILY to help jumpstart this
project and to secure a space ASAP. We are not the first bar/restaurant to turn
to crowdfunding many have seen success and support from their
customers/community/friends/family but perhaps we are the 1st LGBT
one! We hope many in our community will embrace this project as we also know
there will be those who will be negative … we look to the positive within
us all.
THE GOAL: We are on this site to raise as
much funding as we can towards a $225,000 project. We have set our goal on this site at
$50,000 to help reduce the roll of a backer and maintain more control over our own vision. Yes! There is a potential space ready for us to lease and
we don’t want to lose it so we have to raise as much as possible as fast as
possible. Keep in mind we lose a large percent unless our target goal is reached so we need to reach at
least that minimum goal - surpassing this minimum goal WOULD BE THE BEST PLAN so
please keep pledging!
1st no pledge is too large or too small and there are great rewards
for your pledge - NOT A STRAIGHT DONATION YOU GET SOMETHING BACK ... COUPONS, T-SHIRTS, VIP TIX and MORE!!
2nd Share our story! Please, share this page with everyone you know
in the LGBT community and our friends even across the country – you never know
who is from Philly or is coming to Philly and would want to be part of this
project.
THE SPACE: As mentioned we currently have an amazing target space but
time is not on our side – it is a highly sought after space and we need this
funding to move fast. Just a little hint: it will feature several bar areas, private
bottle service vip room, dancing and entertainment along with an amazing kitchen
to produce a fantastic menu. Of course in addition to being a new place to come
out and play, the opening of this space brings employment to our community:
DJ’s, Door Staff, Dancers, Servers, Cooks and of course Bartenders!
THE REWARDS: If you are new to this type of funding: basically you make
a pledge to help us develop this project and along with you being at the ground
level (part of an exclusive group of people helping to bring a new space to
philly) we give you cool rewards for those pledges! Pledges for every
budget check them out definitely the VIP INVITE ME x2!
