If you’re excited about having a bowling alley (whose kitchen serves the beloved Mission Burger) here in the neighborhood, you just might wanna show your support by contributing some some cash to their fundraiser. Depending on your pledge amount, you’ll be rewarded with thank yous, drink tickets, opening night party passes, hours of free bowling, sneak preview access — and for $2,000 you can even contribute your own signature cocktail to the bar’s cocktail menu. Check it out.
 here in the neighborhood, you just might wanna show your support by contributing some some cash to their fundraiser. Depending on your pledge amount, you’ll be rewarded with thank yous, drink tickets, opening night party passes, hours of free bowling, […]</p>
%5Bvia+%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.missionmission.org%2F2011%2F12%2F08%2Fhelp-the-mission-bowling-club-become-a-reality%2F%22%3EMission+Mission%3C%2Fa%3E%5D&clickthru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.missionmission.org%2F2011%2F12%2F08%2Fhelp-the-mission-bowling-club-become-a-reality%2F){kind=link}
Well, it would be awesome to get a MrEricScrewdriver on the menu…
I want to open a bar, who wants to give me some money?
Show me a cool business plan and partner with one of the most beloved chefs in town — and make it through a bunch of planning and zoning hurdles — and then I’ll give you some money.
On it Allan. I know Molly, and if I wasn’t laid off I would help.
We should start a fundraiser to raise funds for their fundraiser. We’ll scrape together $2,000 and get a drink named after Mission Mission.
Hmmmm…I wonder what would be in a drink called the Mission Mission…
Fernet and PBR
What is the deal with charity fundraising for business ventures? Get a small business loan instead of asking for handouts.
Exactly!!
Seriously. A cool business plan thanks investors with repayment of principal. Discount beers and bowling might be suitable interest/dividend until then.
Why not engage with your community and build cool new things together instead of relying on and supporting big banks?
I’m sure plenty of local banks and credit unions would be happy to have their business.
Then, if you’re going to “engage your community,” act like a good business and give equity to those who support you with start up loans. Instead, it’s dickish to just ask for handouts so you can open a for profit business.
Exactly. Mr. Private business, raise your own dam funds.
For $2000 I’d expect to own part of the business.
How dare you think of return on investment when there’s bowling involved?
I agree with t.
also they should have nachos.
Note also that this is a “Flexible Funding campaign”, meaning that they keep the donation regardless of wether they reach their goal, or even open for business.
Personally i think it’s odd to give away money for somebody else to start a business to (eventually) profit off. I don’t really understand the concept.
I think if they actually SOLD part of the business (corp shares) then it would not only make sense but come off as being a more professional operation and would get a lot more people to contribute at the same time.
Yes, that’s what it would take to get any of my money. If you ask me to donate to a non-profit, that’s one thing; if you ask me to invest in a for-profit, that’s another thing — but if you ask me to donate to a for-profit, that’s no-thing.
Why should ANYONE help and give away money to a private business who’s purpose is to create a business and make money?
Talk about selfish, mis-directed ideas. What a bunch of bullshit.
Welcome to the way “new business” works, especially in the Bay Area.
They trying to get engaged to my wallet. Get a loan or kick rocks.
Come on. It’s not like we’re talking about giving a bunch of our money to AMC Theatres to open a cinema (or giving our tax dollars to MLB to build a ball park). These are members of OUR community opening a business in OUR community. The money will help employ people in our community. The majority of the employees’ wages, as well as the owners’ profits, will likely be spent here. Banks aren’t exactly throwing out loans right now. And asking for donations from us is better than seeking outside investment from rich creeps who want to control everything and end up squabbling over returns until everyone with any creative vision pulls out and all that’s left are the Persian Roxbury Twins and a 37 year old, socially awkward tech dork who invests full-time because he doesn’t need a real job after cashing in the Google stocks he got from working there back in 1999. Investors tend to open places like Medjool…Medjool.
Not to mention the simple truth that bowling is awesome, and our neighborhood will be that much more awesome with a bowling alley in it. And we won’t have to make a journey all the way out to Daly City to roll some turkeys all over our friends’ pathetic, defeated asses. That’s right. Sweet T: the ‘T’ is for ‘Three-hundred’, because that’s all I roll on the lanes, bitch! Sorry…just warming up my bowling alley trash-talk.
Why not microfinance through your community instead of asking for handouts? It’s not impossible to do this and it avoids your straw man Medjool scenario.
Agreed. Kickstarter is pretty cool for a lot of things but using it to raise capital to start a business, particularly a for-profit one, doesn’t really feel right. I’m not sure if Kiva does micro loans for domestic projects, but there’s also stuff like The Lending Club that seems way more appropriate.
Oh let’s see how many suckers we can get to give us money. Worked for Commonwealth right?
Banks, car companies, Soylondra etc..etc..freakin etc..
We GAVE all of them our money through taxes and had no say. What % of your tax contributions go to things you want? What did you get out of all the flippin bailouts, and corporate “bonuses” “Golden parachutes”?
A drink? A party? A job? Probably not.
Go bowling for dollars!!!
Social Security, Medical care, Roads, Education, NASA, Environmental protection, General scientific research and development, Arts funding, Peace Corps, Providing millions of jobs etc…etc..freakin etc..
Do all of my taxes go towards paying for things I support? FUCK NO. And a political process exists for changing that (even if that process is obviously enormously weighted against average people. Hence the OWS movement).
But, to paraphrase Oliver Wendell Holmes: I like paying taxes — With them I purchase civilization.
“But, to paraphrase Oliver Wendell Holmes: I like paying taxes — With them I purchase civilization.”
Sorry I didn’t see this when you posted it; it’s a sentiment that comes only with maturity.
How much total actually needs to be raised?
Since there is a lively discussion, I’d like to weigh in. This is just my opinion and doesn’t reflect on the ownership of the bowling alley, though I will be working on the food program.
I helped Commonwealth, get off the ground by raising $12,000 in funds via kickstarter. We gave the kickstarters $12,000 in gift certificates and then went on to raise $60,000 for various charities in a year and a half. Back in the summer of 2010, we had kind of maxed out all sources of funding and borrowing. I was doing construction/demolition/lighting/sound paneling for like 16 hours a day for two solid weeks before opening because we could no longer afford to pay professionals.
As part of a remodel at Mission Chinese Food we used kickstarter to get $3000 or so for a dragon. As of today, we just dropped a check in the mail bringing the total raised for the SF Food Bank to $102,000. Back then we were not as prosperous and I was unwilling to pay $3000 for a dragon out of pocket, or to prioritize decor over restaurant equipment or the Food Bank. We turned to crowdsourcing. In the end, I think it really ties the room together and in an indirect way, aids our ability to make money–for charity or otherwise.
This bowling alley will donate a portion of food sales to local youth related programs as well as donating at cost bowling. I am not part of the ownership, but I agreed to work on it since I want to support that kind of community building. Of course the owners would like to have bike parking and a beautiful patio, but it’s a lower priority than say, a bathroom, and it’s a juggling act to justify with investors–taking out a loan or delaying repayment further, etc.
It’s not like a contribution funds someone’s caviar brunch. It’s two ladies pouring their savings into a project. They already spend all of their free time painting the interior, and someone’s mom is already making the curtains and stuff. Obviously there are no hard feelings if you opt to not contribute, but it seems unproductive to harsh on their project.
* * *
I think the Mission Mission should be a fernet and PBR burrito.
Well, this is just me, too, but…
Generally, in the past, I’ve been in favor of any restaurant that came along and wanted to do something new. Despite the fact that Mission Chinese keeps hours when I have to be at work elsewhere, and Commonwealth is way too expensive for my budget. I mean, interesting food is interesting, right?
But after reading your remarks about what kind of fly-by-night financing and moronic crap restaurant start-ups in The Mission require, I’m ready to say, “fuck all y’all!”
Home cooking is good!
#1- good idea…
#2- To many ideas become unworkable (keep it simple)
#3- You’re climbing the hill in CALIFONIA (to many taxes and regulations)
#4- Banks and investors want to make money..NOW!
#5- Investors will give you just enough money to CHOKE ON..(This in hopes
that you will fail.)
#6- Bowling must be refined….Too many failures due, in part, it needs
people..people are to busy with family and working. People have to
many options today…cells, tablets, tv, Xbox, etc
Anyway sorry for the NEG stuff…I am working on a project myself….
In CA…UGH..and I have 20 years of investing exoerience….Good Luck
oh…I am working on a project which will revive the bowling business..
If you can use some input email me..
Rick
A word in your ears — Serra Bowl is closing up!
Thanks for the words in the ear bit….What shame…In the last ten years I’ve
seen some beautiful properties go under. BLAME IT ON MANAGEMENT
…Attitude toward the sport…RE: management not supporting game, as a
game,,more of a shareholder investment game…GOT TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE EMPLOYEES AND DONT PAY THEM ANYTHING (no bemefits). Their not satisfied with 15% profit, they want 35% Oh…YEAH dont fix or repair anything!
And for GOD sake dont do anthing creative….
Such is life in the 21st century.
Take care….Rick