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Molly's Soulful Café

Welcome to Molly's Soulful Café

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Molly's Soulful Café

Molly's Soulful Café

Molly's Soulful Café

Molly's Soulful Café

Molly's Soulful Café

Welcome to Molly's Soulful Café

Welcome to Molly's Soulful Café

Welcome to Molly's Soulful Café

Welcome to Molly's Soulful Café

Marlo Stroud
Marlo Stroud
Marlo Stroud
Marlo Stroud
2 Campaigns |
Sherman Oaks, California, United States
$1,675 USD 24 backers
8% of $20,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
Highlights
Mountain Filled 2 Projects Mountain Filled 2 Projects
Overview
Molly’s Soulful Cafe is a soul food restaurant to be located in Sherman Oaks, CA. We are dedicated to extending our dinner table to our community connecting cultures through food and keeping traditions alive with every plate. Molly’s Soulful Café endeavors to create a menu and atmosphere built on traditional family principals of breaking bread around fellowship and entertainment where everyone is family!

The Food

“Soul Food” is a term used for an ethnic cuisine, food traditionally prepared in Southern United States. The style originated during American slavery and has been passed down from generation. Molly’s Soulful Café looks to build on this tradition by continuing the recipes that Big Mama passed down to Marlo “Molly” Stroud.  

 

Meet Marlo 'Molly' Stroud

 

I love cooking! I love seeing my family and friends comforted by my cooking.  The biggest compliment is when they ask for seconds. I’ve been cooking as long as I can remember.  By age  9, I was cooking entire meals…from fried chicken with smothered potatoes and collard greens to homemade pancakes, waffles, and biscuits. 

Growing up I spent a lot of time with my grandparents and remember watching my grandmother, Big Mama prepare meals for our entire family. Basically, she taught me everything I know, and it's her recipes that I will be using at Molly’s Soulful Café.  

When she passed away in 2002, I took the lead in preparing family dinners, and seeing how much my family enjoyed the meals I realized just how well I could cook. They constantly told me my cooking reminded them of Big Mama’s and that I should open up my own restaurant so they could have the food all year long.  I loved the idea…I just knew I wasn’t moving back to Chicago, so I put the idea on the back burner. For the past 14 years I’ve focused on my career as a financial controller; however, my passion for cooking has not waned.  While my career has been fulfilling, it has not provided the pleasure and passion I feel when I'm in the kitchen and serving friends and family.  This is why I’ve decided to pursue my dream of opening up Molly’s Soulful Café

The Business

Molly’s Soulful Café is more than a passion project of Marlo “Molly” Stroud. Since relocating to Studio City, she has searched for a good soul food restaurant and has been unsuccessful which is why she plans to open Molly's on Ventura Blvd.  

Sherman Oaks has a population of over 60,000 people.  It is a family community with 51% reporting to be married.  It is an economically sound population with a median income of $69,651 and over 60% college graduates. It also has a thriving dining community but lacks the options for soul food cuisine. Add to this the growing diversity in the community and you have a recipe for success.

Molly’s Soulful Café looks to fill this gap in service. 

The Money

We project that the restaurant start-up costs will be $250,000 overall. These funds will cover the costs of formation, legal, accounting, furniture, fixtures, equipment, personnel, training and miscellaneous costs.  This will also help with continuing costs of salaries, rent, and insurance.  

Since incorporating earlier this year the team has been working hard to secure the funds required.  Our current commitments from friends, family, and Marlo herself have us at about 40% of our start-up costs.  We are in negotiations with investors that should help us reach 70 - 80% of our goal.  Your generous support will help us reach our ultimate goal and make Molly's Soulful Cafe a reality.  

Your donation and investment through this campaign will help us acquire equipment, permits, and licenses.  We feel confident, that with your support we will be able to reach our goal and open the doors to Molly's Soulful Café in January 2017.  

The Menu

 

Molly’s Soulful Café will host beer and wine tasting and serve up soul food staples like:

  • Baked macaroni and cheese
  • Roasted Chicken
  • Red beans and rice
  • Fried Chicken
  • Fried Catfish
  • Grilled and baked salmon
  • Collard greens with smoked turkey
  • Cornbread dressing
  • Candied Yams
  • Potato Salad
  • Fried Shrimp
  • Cream Cheese Pound Cake
  • Sweet Potato pie
  • Banana Pudding
  • Bread Pudding
  • Cornbread cakes
  • Homemade dinner rolls
  • Gravy
  • Blackeyed Peas
  • Coleslaw
  • Mashed potatoes
  • Beef ribs (smoked)
  • Corn on the cob
  • Baked yams/potatoes

Molly's Team

Owner/Cook: Marlo “Molly” Stroud has been cooking authentic soul food since she was a little girl. From hosting soul food Sundays at her studio city apartment for several years, catering for a 65 person worship team at her former church, to small movie sets Molly knows her way around the kitchen.  With over 14 years of corporate finance experience, she is well versed in financial management.

Restaurant Manager: Having graduated from The Hotel School at Cornell, with a major in Restaurant Entrepreneurship Rebekah has over 10 years experience in hospitality that includes: Hotel Management, Restaurant Management, and Human Resources.  She is well versed in California Labor laws based on her background in Human Resources and is also familiar with union working environments. Food is her passion and delivering excellent customer service is her niche.

Kitchen Manager: Mark has over 5 years of hotel and hospitality supervisory experience.  Winning Employee of the year from one of the top hotel companies in the world, we are happy to have him on our team.

 

    How You Can Help

    Thought you'd never ask! Please take advantage of one of our perks and help us spread the word.  We appreciate you sharing this page via any social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat etc...), email, text and worth of mouth. We are grateful for your support and look forward to breaking bread with you!

     

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    Choose your Perk

    Buy a Brick

    $10 USD
    Receive a $5 gift card and a special thank you on our facebook page.
    1 claimed
    Ships to United States of America

    Uncle Reggie's Favorite

    $20 USD
    Receive a $10 gift card and your choice of one of Uncle Reggie's favorite Desserts.
    1 claimed
    Ships to United States of America

    Mama's Lucky Break

    $30 USD
    Receive a $15 gift card and your choice of one of Molly's signature appetizers.
    5 claimed
    Ships to United States of America

    Big Mama's Goodies

    $50 USD
    Receive a $35 gift card and Big Mama's bag of Goodies (dessert, appetizers, and other treats)
    3 claimed
    Ships to United States of America

    #SoulFoodMatters Pack

    $75 USD
    #SoulFoodMatters signature apron, a $25 gift card; dinner for 2, Big Mama's bag of Goodies, and a personal invitation (for 2) from Chef Molly to a private menu tasting.
    1 claimed
    Ships to United States of America

    Chef's Private Table Invite

    $125 USD
    Receive a $50 gift card, VIP dinner invitation for you and 3 of your guests to dine at Chef Molly's VIP table, a personal invitation (for 2) from Chef Molly to a private menu tasting, and a Molly's Soulful Café signature #SoulFoodMatters apron.
    3 out of 50 of claimed
    Ships to United States of America

    Molly's Wall of Fame Pack

    $250 USD
    Your name on Molly's famous Wall of Fame, a $100 gift card, VIP dinner invitation for you and 3 of your guests to dine at Chef Molly's VIP table, a personal invitation (for 2) from Chef Molly to a private menu tasting, and a Molly's Soulful Café signature #SoulFoodMatters apron.
    0 out of 50 of claimed
    Ships to United States of America

    Soul Food Sunday Party Pack

    $500 USD
    VIP dinner invitation for you and 9 of your guests, $100 Gift Certificate, your name on Molly's famous Wall of Fame, a personal invitation (for 2) from Chef Molly to a private menu tasting, Big Mama's bag of goodies, and a Molly's Soulful Café signature #SoulFoodMatters apron.
    1 out of 50 of claimed
    Ships to United States of America

    Soul Food Foodie’s Delight

    $1,000 USD
    Cooking class with Chef Molly, $250 gift certificate, Chef Table VIP dinner for you and 3 of your guests, your name on Molly's infamous Wall of Fame, invitation for 2 to the grand opening, and a Molly's Soulful Cafe signature #SoulFoodMatters apron.
    0 out of 10 of claimed
    Ships to United States of America

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