Portland brunch hot spot Beeswing turns to Kickstarter to survive

PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland's restaurant scene is filled with trendy new startups and classics that seem to stand the test of time. But every time a closure is announced, like Country Cat earlier this week, it's a reminder that longevity in the restaurant world is hard to come by.

Beeswing, a Cully neighborhood brunch favorite that opened in 2017, is in a strange position. Its owners say the restaurant is growing and would have no problem thriving for years to come. But they're facing a huge financial hurdle.

"We are trying to save the restaurant," said Marissa Lorette, the baker and owner at Beeswing.

Lorette and her partner opened Beeswing (pronounced 'bees wing') with the help of a silent business partner. That partner now needs out of the business. Lorette assumed she'd have no problem getting a loan to buy them out, but she was denied at every turn. As a last resort, she turned to Kickstarter, a platform normally used to launch new businesses.

"Honestly, I didn't want to launch it," Lorette said. "I didn't want to get to the point where I had to. But now we're there."

But Kickstarter isn't like other crowd-funding sites that raise money with no expectation of anything in return. Those who ask for money are usually required to give something back to those who donate. Often, that's a product or service the money is helping to fund.

In the case of Beeswing, Lorette says anyone who donates will get a dollar-for-dollar voucher or gift card that can be used at Beeswing in the future. Investors can also choose to receive special packages, like a dinner party, for certain amounts. It will cost Lorette money down the road. But she's not worried about that cost. She figures a dedicated customer base and word-of-mouth advertising will easily overcome that. She's only worried about getting enough for the buyout.

"Our business is not failing," she said. "We are growing. It just basically gives us an opportunity to get this chunk of money up front so we can hand it over."

As of Friday night, the Kickstarter campaign (video created and produced by Ben Olsen) had more than 800 backers and had raised nearly $60,000 of a $70,000 goal. Those numbers give Marissa validation.

"We've worked for it," she said. "We've been here for two-and-a-half years and we've fed a lot of people. They're not questioning what our product is. They already know."

Kickstarter sticks to strict deadlines when a project is being funded. Lorette has until July 31 at 12:15 p.m. to reach her goal or she'll get nothing.

"I'm optimistic," she said.

Anyone interested in donating can go here.