:: EDITED WITH UPDATED AGENDA :: 

Our Small Business doesn't have the margins to keep wages up during impending closures due to the COVID-19 Health Crisis, especially after catering cancellations & lost contracts due to the pandemic (So far, 10s of thousands/mo for the unforeseeable future) 
Currently, we are trying to keep everyone (who feels comfortable) working (at super-high sanitation/social standards), reserving everything we can towards supplementing lost wages. We aren't keeping anyone tightly obligated to their shifts if they aren't comfortable, and doctoring up obtainable immediate relief support-plans for our community. 

Our concerns run wide, and 40 people deep. Your continued support is invaluable. 

Thank you

>>> The following is still in our future, but taking a backseat to the current emergent need of our  treasured service industry professionals.

Our Story

Wakin' Bakin' is a uniquely-classic breakfast restaurant with 2 locations & a lil' sister restaurant in New Orleans. Family owned & operated, founded in 2010. 

Founder Conrad Chura stumbled into passion for the restaurant industry and set out to fill a neighborhood need for fresh, quality breakfast. He and friends saved tip money from their cooking jobs to cover start-up costs, pooled resources, and managed to thrive as a delivery only "pop-up” restaurant in various shared kitchens before finding their Midcity home  in 2012. In 2015, we were welcomed into The Holy Ground Irish Pub where we opened our sister restaurant, Mother Mary’s, serving late-night pub grub. In 2018 Wakin’ Bakin’ had the opportunity to expand to Uptown New Orleans! 

Our mission to provide fresh, delicious food in a sunny & relaxed environment would not be possible without the support of the people on our team. We currently employ around 35 people across all three locations. We are working to re-organize our family-owned & operated business to open-up ownership opportunities for some of the priceless members of our team. 

What We Need & What You Get

Our goal is $250,000 in funding to improve business branding and health in pursuit of our goals. We are working to finance the legal & accounting expenses necessary for proper re-organization, and invest in quality-of-life upgrades for all employees, such as health insurance, sick leave, and an Emergency PTO reserve. 

One of the reasons we chose Indiegogo as our platform for Wakin’ Bakin’, is that we can offer some genuinely unique perks; our biggest are different event services we can offer utilizing our restaurant space to its fullest including event space rental &  one-of-a-kind Mardi Gras Parade Packages! 

Where the Funds Will Go if We Don't Reach Our Entire Goal

First, we’ll fill all appropriate merchandise and event commitments. Next, we would complete the transition to our newly designed logo ordering branded merchandise for staff and retail (all proceeds will be re-invested!), (finally!) completing the signage upgrade, and a website facelift. While we can continue to sustain our incredibly aggressive plan to pay off debt from 2018's expansion ( back to debt free within the next year! ), with your support we could simultaneously get the legal leg-work started on our ownership offerings.  The closer we get to our goals, the more we can pursue other efforts to increase our employee-support capabilities.

The Impact

Wakin’ Bakin’ has grown tremendously as a local, family-owned operation. We started as a pop-up with 3 sweat-equitors, and grew over 10 years into a 3-location operation, employing around 35 people. We also thrive on local partnership. Wakin' Bakin' uses as much local product as we can get our hands on (from the honey & produce farmer, to the local tofu artisan), and use locally-owned purveyors for the rest.  We always call the neighborhood guys for maintenance and repairs, and trade with the corner mechanic to keep operations running. We believe in supporting the roots of commerce and maximizing the resources at hand. 

We’re fortunate to have the support of a dedicated network of management and long-term employees who deserve a piece of the pie. They’ve carried us through some of our hardest times, and we want to support that merit with a tangible investment that they can grow with. We value our team's time, and strive to nurture their strengths. This like minded team values healthy and progressive quality-of-life standards for the oft under-appreciated service-industry professional, and we want to fuel that fire. 

Your support means opportunity to a New Orleans service professional. Our industry's backbone tends to suffer a stressful and thankless career, often left without opportunity for growth or support in times of hardship. We do our best to support our people on a case-by case basis, but in an industry with notoriously tight margins we know that a savvy investment in their health and stability is key to strengthening our workforce.

 When the time comes, we plan to support future campaigns to sponsor the ownership of the individuals eligible for buy-in. 

Risks & Challenges

While opening our new location in 2018, we were faced with about $70k in unforeseen challenges, such as having to replace the entirety of a promised-functional kitchen, expensive broken pipes under the building (despite appropriate inspections!), a storage shed collapse due to termite damage, one brick thru the window (complete with missing safe), and a fair amount of heartache to follow.

As a husband & wife team with 3 restaurants and two toddlers, we’ve relied heavily on this team that has supported us tirelessly through all of the pits and valleys. There's no price tag on this level of dedication, as it can really only measure up to the manic passion of entrepreneurship. We've carried ourselves so far with so little that we know Wakin' Bakin's opportunities are endless with this talented and eclectic team, and a touch of your support. 

Other Ways You Can Help

We appreciate more than just monetary support! The time you’ve taken out of your day to read about Wakin’ Bakin’ and its hopes and dreams wasn’t for nothing. Please share!

Maybe you know someone who plans to visit New Orleans soon? Or someone who just enjoys punny word-play and the local workaholic? The more people we reach, the better chance we stand to reach our goal! 

If you're in the neighborhood, we welcome you to dine in our restaurants, pick-up some merch, and let the team know you’re rooting for ‘em!

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