Five years ago two friends set out to open a neighborhood bakery and market committed to sourcing from local farmers. Today the Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery employs 40 staff members and sells produce, meat, milk and groceries from over 150 different small family farms and producers. All that is missing from this local food hub is ... pizza!
And pizza tastes better when it comes from a shipping container. The plan is to upfit an old abandoned container with a wood-fired pizza oven and beer taps, and integrate this into the swamp outdoor play area which we've all come to know and love. Making delicious pizza is easy when you use good ingredients - in keeping with our local food philosophy we will use Carolina Ground flour and all local meats, cheeses, and veggies - would you expect anything less?!
Since its start, the Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery has relied on the strong support of its loyal customers. Now we turn to our Swamp Customers to make the vision of Swamp Pizza a reality! By participating in the Swamp Pizza project, you not only get to enjoy the amazing perks we are offering, but you will forever be part of the Swamp Family. Envision yourself hopping on a bike, concluding a ten-mile run, or (the horror!) driving to the Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery to eat some delicious flat-crust wood-fired pizza, topped with the best ingredients from your favorite local farmers.
What We Need & What You Get
We need $50,000 to pour a concrete slab, haul in a shipping container, build a state-of-the-art wood-fired oven, and cut holes in the container so you can see all of the magic happen. In exchange for helping fund Swamp Pizza, you get to enjoy some amazing perks, like a bottomless pint glass, membership in the Pizza Club, a special edition Swamp Tee, or FOOD FOR A YEAR!
If we don't reach our entire goal.... we plan to do it anyway! But, it may just take a little longer (like a few years!). We want Swamp Pizza NOW! And so do you, right?
The Impact
We have always been a community-oriented business and we envision this project as yet another way to involve our community in a fun, worthwhile food venture. YOU, our customers, have supported us and our farmers so incredibly in the past five years, and YOU have asked us to make wood-fired pizza a regular thing (we've done the occasional pizza party and it's been a hit!).
We have a proven track record or making crazy things happen. For instance, the first local food market on a side of town where not many commercial enterprises existed. A bakery and cafe, built from the ground up by bootstrapping friends. Swamp Pizza will be a whirlwind, but it's going to be so much fun - with your help!
Risks & Challenges
We could fail. Actually we can't fail. You know us. We have the best staff ever, the best supply chain (small farmers) ever, and we will overcome any challenges that come our way. In fact, we thrive in chaos. And we really love pizza.
Other Ways You Can Help
Not everyone can contribute money and we know that. If you would, please share this with your uncles, moms, pops, and friends, and let them know how much you'd like to have Swamp Pizza as an experience you can enjoy in Greenville!
And that's all there is to it.
