The Begging Bowl?s Kickstarter Campaign

[landellsrd]

Hello- I?ve not been asked by The BB but I?m such a huge fan and mostly I want them to achieve their goal so that I can enjoy Begging Bowl takeaway whenever I want!!

Jane has worked very hard over the years with no investors and they want to expand the restaurant and kitchen and be able to offer Thai cooking courses, a new cocktail bar and Takeaway/ Delivery!!!! How amazing would that be.

Our area has turned into a bit of a foodie haven and The BB is a big part of that- they aren?t asking for just donations, you can buy an experience so pls sign up to receive the email, it seems weird but you can?t contribute until the Kickstarter goes live on October 8th so sign up for the email to support local innovative business!!! Click the link below to watch the Kickstarter Video for all the info!!

[cella]

Was there not a thread on here recently about the BB allegedly not paying their staff properly?

[landellsrd]

I don't know because I don't follow every post on the EDF but way to slander a local business! I know the head chef very well and she wouldnt do that.

[micromacromonkey]

landellsrd Wrote:

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> I don't know because I don't follow every post on

> the EDF but way to slander a local business! I

> know the head chef very well and she wouldnt do

> that.

A conflict of interest you failed to declare in your opening post ;)

I love begging bowl btw, but perhaps they can do their own advertising?

[landellsrd]

Nobody asked me to post about the Kickstarter, I put this up with the best of intentions, I love eating at The BB, I love Peckham and I know they need some help - If we support local businesses who are we going to support? Peckham and ED is a great, diverse place to live and I think all the independents make it special. XX Peace!

[landellsrd]

Sorry - - if we don't support local businesses who are we going to report...

I was worried about using the 'edit' function to amend my post lest you thought I was covering up something nefarious!!

[landellsrd]

aack! SUPPORT!

I'll stop now... :p

[Abe_froeman]

They've taken the "begging" but of their brand too literally for me.

[binkylilyput]

Why are people being such a*ses on this thread?

[fishbiscuits]

Wonderful food... always enjoy eating there, and it would be great to be able to get takeaway.

Let's keep the staff dispute a separate subject.

[JoeLeg]

fishbiscuits Wrote:

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> Wonderful food... always enjoy eating there, and

> it would be great to be able to get takeaway.

>

> Let's keep the staff dispute a separate subject.

Yeah but it?s not really is it? Because people tend to get up on their moral high horse about bad employers until it threatens a place they like.

I?ve known several FOH staff members that have been through there and as a result of what I?ve been told I?ll never give them any money.

[cella]

No idea what happened on the posted pay issue - just seems strange to have two threads saying different things. Can't ignore surely?

[Angelina]

I think it's a bit dubious that OP would prefer to come across as an unrelated third party

when they're clearly not

I do like transparency

[landellsrd]

I don?t ?prefer to come across as an unrelated party!??

I know Jane, I like the BB, I didn?t intend to seem shifty- I thought that by writing that I wasn?t asked to post this (because I was not) that it actually implied that I know the people who work there.

There is not some consirpacy - repeat - there is no conspiracy.

As you were! 😃

[Sazzle30]

Isn?t kick starter for new businesses? Not established ones, surely as they do so well here and with their pop up in Brompton/Fulham ( can?t quire remember) they can fund this themselves?

[JoeLeg]

In fairness - and despite my well documented disdain for this particular establishment - I can understand it. The whole hospitality/catering/pub/restaurant industry is in trouble.

When they hit small businesses like this with massive business rate increases while taking 20% VAT from all sales (5% on food and drink sales on the continent, by way of contrast) it?s pretty easy to understand how they might have a skinny profit margin. They aren?t the first to go to Kickstarter to get funding - Gary Usher is an excellent example of how it can work - and it?s probably better than being in hock to a rapacious bank which will put you into ?special measures? just to asset-strip your business (see RBS and their ?Global Restructuring Group? for examples of how perfectly sound small businesses were nailed to the wall just to pad out a bankers bonus.

If I was looking to renovate on that scale I?d probably do the same.

[Abe_froeman]

Gary Usher's campaigns have been to finance new openings on new sites and have not been without their own criticism.

For an existing restaurant I think it would be more honest to tap up your loyal supporters by charging more on the menu than raising so called Kickstarter money.

[JoeLeg]

I see your points, however firstly I?d say Begging Bowl would probably already be charging more if they thought they could, and also doing it that way you still have to give 20% of any increase to the government! I?m not sure they?re being dishonest by using Kickstarter, but I respect that others feel differently.

I agree that Gary is something of a...shall we say...Marmite individual? He certainly has his detractors, and hasn?t always handled things as well as he could!

[fishbiscuits]

Nobody is forcing you to contribute.

[edcam]

There have always been some miserable, negative dickwads here but they're out in force on this thread.

[JoeLeg]

fishbiscuits Wrote:

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> Nobody is forcing you to contribute.

And no one is forcing you to care how they treat their staff. You spend your money as you see fit.

[dirac]

Loads of small businesses do it: Brick Brewery did and that's now manifested in the new tap room and improved facilities there.

It's a way for a community to invest directly into local businesses they feel deserve it and cut out banks and what not, which can only be a good thing if properly managed.

[Jules-and-Boo]

All well and good - in which case let's hear the business put their own case forward and get their community on board.

[Abe_froeman]

It's not investing in the business though, it's just making a donation to it.

[cella]

edcam Wrote:

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> There have always been some miserable, negative

> dickwads here but they're out in force on this

> thread.

Nice. Think one of the points being made is that possibly there's an ongoing staff pay issue (though don't know if this has now been resolved) but if not then it's possibly rather inappropriate for other connected people to encourage contributions to this scheme currently.