Short Summary
Contributors mostly fund ideas they can be passionate about and to people they trust. In our case, we are both disabled veterans of the military and honorably discharged. Marti (the husband chef) was injured and operated on during Operation Iraqi Freedom. As vetrepreneurs, we have been remarkably successful in running our bed and breakfast, The Inn of the Patriots (www.theinnofthepatriots.com at 704-937-2940), for eight years and have won numerous #1 awards, worldwide. We are also a DIAMOND LISTED PROPERTY with AAA. We are not a hairbrained idea, not a startup, and not incubating anything. We are a well-honed success story, looking to expand.
- Marti was a White House Chef, a manager of the Camp David Resort and Conference Center and has led numerous hotels and inns to success worldwide. He's done interior design worldwide and also runs the onsite culinary institute. After retiring with 21 years in the military, he graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelors (3.98 GPA) from the Art Institute. It was his dream always to go to college. Stormy is his chef wife and also an accountant doing payroll for over 10 million dollars and 400+ employees in her day-job in Charlotte, NC. When back home as innkeeper and chef she leads the dinners and tours of the inn and on-site museum. Stormy is a Professional in Human Resources with a (PHR) designation via the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
- We would like to raise enough money by just selling rooms and gift shop items to expand, add two more suites and convert our kitchen to a restaurant and catering kitchen. We have the contract bid in hand.
- Once we were featured to 2.6 billion people via CNN, appeared in the New Yorker Magazine, Washington Post, The London Times, on PBS and as a prize to 62 million on Wheel of Fortune - things took off! And, it is illegal for our White House Chef to serve food to the public without a certified restaurant kitchen - which as you know the stainless steel machines, sinks, and counters are twice the cost of regular stoves and such at Best Buy.
What We Need & What You Get
- We've done this before in 2009, with $146,000.00 in room sales to the public and had no problems ensuring every single person had their stay honored. We launched our business this way, so we know it works! We set a world record by avoiding the banks and welcoming folks like you.
- This time, we are offering our six-course colonial breakfast with all rooms daily (all have private bathrooms now), wine tasting of ten wines at the local winery, triple-cider flight at the wine bar, free appetizer and dessert at local restaurants and sweet treats with fruit all day long at the inn (free), 100 Mbps free wi-fi for all, free parking, as well as complimentary bottle of water in room upon arrival.
- Any amount of contribution will help.
- If we don't reach our full goal, we will scale back our furnishings in the new suites or not do the new restaurant - but you'll still enjoy your stay in any of our five rooms with private baths, and all promised. Primarily we are selling room packages right here. We've done that for a long, long time, with super-high marks on earth. The risk of failure, therefore, is zero risk of your funds, and your return is not predicated upon the market, dividend issue nor distributions.
The Impact
Your contribution will make a difference in numerous veterans lives, small business, the injured and disabled as well as the small town of Grover, NC.
- Veterans returning home are now turning to us, to provide hope, to teach and help them, how to become successful.
- Our museum, onsite, is the US Presidential Culinary Museum. We will be placing every single donors name onto our foundation website at www.presidentialculinarymuseum.org
- We own our own business because society trusted us in war - to protect America, and to bring integrity, honor, commitment, and duty to small businesses. Literally, to show the world what we can become!
- You are forever stating that you support war veterans by patronizing veteran owned businesses. Your support means the ENTIRE WORLD TO OUR SUCCESS AS FELLOW AMERICANS!
Risks & Challenges
People value transparency. Being open and standing out by providing insight into the risks and obstacles we may face on the way to achieving our goal, is critical.
- We have unprecedented hotelier experience up to 1500 room properties.
- We've managed resorts, private homes, and inns across three continents.
- We may not raise the desired goal and fall flat on our face.
- We realize there are a select few betting we will fail. We motivate forward.
- We are well aware of those who do not like military veterans that have served. We go around them and into the darkness, towards winning.
- We have experienced the troubles of the VA hospital system ourselves. We pray to God for others and shine as the beacon of success to watch and follow.
- We would just honor the overnight stays like we always have and then turn to private investors, angel investors and Venture Capitol funds.
- An additional fall-back plan is for us to launch a Crowdfunder.com campaign to structure a deal where unaccredited investors can come in under the new JOBS ACT.
- We continue to look for opportunities to have a longer term offered, with more favorable rates, SBA 504 backing and a partner to provide equity infusion. This would allow us to expand to a property in Grover of 357 acres currently for sale, exercise up to 20 million in promised funds from Morgan Stanley and go to 200 rooms at The American Revolutionary War Living History Center The ARWLHC
Other Ways You Can Help
Some people just can't contribute, but that doesn't mean they can't help:
- You could get the word out and make some noise about our campaign.
- You can use the Indiegogo share tools!
- You can mention us to friends and family, that we are fighters.
- You can contact the media and suggest they do a story on us.
And that's all there is to it.