OWEN SOUND, Ont. — A ‘no-tipping’ restaurant in Owen Sound, Ont., is struggling to stay open after less than a year in operation, turning to online fundraising campaigns to raise money, reports the Owen Sound Sun Times.
The Avalon Jazz Lounge and Patio is owned by Gary Murphy, a former IT professional, and pays employees about $4 per hour more than the Ontario minimum wage. But, after being let go from his full-time job last summer, the restaurateur’s ability to carry the restaurant through its first year in business was impacted. “You can’t expect a shop like this to turn a profit in its first year and I didn’t,” he told the newspaper.
Now, he owes money to his suppliers and mounting utility bills have forced the restaurant’s investors to list the building and equipment for sale. Currently, a gofundme.com fundraising campaign has raised more than $2,200 to help pay the hydro bill. “Please help us continue to bring jazz and arts culture from all around to Owen Sound and provide a new kind of venue in downtown Owen Sound,” the website reads. [owensoundsuntimes.com]
