WHO WE ARE

Rolling River Café, Gallery & Inn is a family run business nestled in the Catskills. Rob is the head chef and masterfully creates a rotating menu. He is an illustrator and has over 20 childrens books to his name. Kim is the innkeeper, bookkeeper and go-to person for repairs. She comes from a well-rounded background in computer programming and renovating houses. Miriam, their daughter, is the manager, marketing guru and ideas gal. Before coming to the Catskills she worked in the film industry and in claymation. Together they pool their unique set of skills to make Rolling River what it is today.

OUR STORY
In 2005, we bought a run-down property with tons of potential on the Little Beaverkill River.  Our intention was to have an open art studio and serve some sandwiches. Rob has always loved to cook, and we all feel strongly about quality ingredients that are locally sourced. An old carriage house provided a space where we could combine our love of art and food.  Sandwiches led to pastries and coffees, then to wine and beer, eventually snowballing into a thriving farm to table restaurant. We were in for an adventure!

We started with 11 seats, downstairs only. This quickly became too little to handle our customer flow and Rob had less and less time to be in the studio. The solution was obvious, we added upstairs seating.


We also added outdoor seating for our customers to dine riverside amidst a garden of twinkling lights. Today people can pop over to our outdoor ping pong table for a quick game! 

OUR PLANS
Since day one we wanted our restaurant to be a place where people can have an intimate meal or strike up a conversation with other diners. This creates a  wonderfully festive feel as soon as you enter.  We would like a small bar to add to our atmosphere downstairs. Having a bar would allow us to expand our hours, remaining open more days a week with drinks and a small tapas menu.


We are so excited to carry additional beers on tap and expand our cocktail list! We will be able to accommodate more people and help our business grow. All these changes allow us to open up our kitchen, leaving more room for a second stove and grill. With your help we will have more seats in our addition. Our restaurant will then be able to have 50 people at one time! 

We've already begun the process: Our building permit application has been sent. Our contractors are lined up to break ground at the end of this summer season. The Department of Health is on board with our plans. Our engineer is currently reviewing the architectural plans, and our architect is working closely with us to create our dream space. He has enthusiastically taken this project to heart, complementing our rustic style with his modern designs. Our merger has resulted in a funky look, using repurposed barn boards for siding and antique window frames of varying colors and textures.

WHERE WILL YOUR CONTRIBUTION GO?
Here is the breakdown of how the $40,000 will be spent:
$6,000 for the foundation, $10,000 for framing, $5,000 for siding, $2,000 for windows, $5,000 for air conditioning and heating, $5,000 for the bar, $5,000 for a second pellet stove, and $7,500 toward kitchen improvements. These numbers do include labor. Oops, we are already over our goal, and we aren't even done! We still have flooring, painting and decorating. Your contribution is so important because every penny will make it possible for us to do this. So let us do something for you. Check out our perks which are a lot of fun, ranging from art on your walls to a weekend getaway to exciting dining experiences! We look forward to sharing them with you.

BUILDING OUR COMMUNITY

This renovation will not only help us, but help the area. Parksville was a once thriving little hamlet that was sadly forsaken over time. We are thrilled to be working with a group of people to put it back on the map. The town needs flourishing businesses to rebuild itself. Parksville is situated in an ideal location, right off of the highway and 5 miles from the newly bustling Livingston Manor. Together, we can rejuvenate the Catskills.
 

WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED
Over the last decade, we have gone through a series of modifications beginning with fixing the property up from the mess we purchased it as. Later came minor expansions to meet specific needs.

Before the cafe existed:
 
What the cafe looks like today:


Our kitchen when we first opened:

Our kitchen today, after we expanded it:


Our downstairs seating when we opened:

Downstairs seating today:

OUR CHALLENGE
There is a small window of time between our summer season and when the ground becomes too cold to lay concrete. We plan to break ground at the end of September. Time is of the essence. The biggest challenges we face are to complete this project without depriving our customers for too long and finishing in time for the spring season, 2018. It's a lot to achieve, but we are ready for it and invite you to jump on this fast moving train.

SOUND THE HORN!
Thank you in advance for your contribution! There are other ways you can help too. Take a moment to share our campaign with friends via email, social media, and word of mouth. We can't wait to see the new and improved Rolling River, a place that wouldn't be possible without you! THANK YOU!!!!