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While the city's first dog café is using an Indiegogo campaign to set up shop, a couple of NYC bars are doing so out of desperation. Landmark anti-pop bar Manitoba's and the boozy dessert "speakeasy" Spirited have recently sent out calls for help on crowd-funding sites to keep their doors open.
The East Village dive bar launched its $25,000 fundraising campaign to settle an unspecified law suit, potentially about noise violations, and the Brooklyn bakery-bar is asking for $10,000 to simply keep financially afloat for the next few months and help secure long-term growth.
On its Indiegogo page, Manitoba's notes that the claims against the bar are not solely for loud late nights, though "tenants in expensive apartments levying noise complaints at 8pm" are directly called out in the owners' "battle cry for help." The deadline for the dive is February 18. After that, the owners will "either pay or shut down." This isn't the first time the bar has faced hard times: In 2011, owners Rick Manitoba and Zoe Hansen recovered from bankruptcy and intend to host auctions, concerts and solicit donations to supplement their current comeback plan.
Spirited owner Kimberly Wetherell has approached her situation with less threatening urgency, turning to GoFundMe for her delicately named "salvation fund." The proceeds from the fundraiser, she explains, will be used for upkeep over the next few months, including emergency repairs—presumably the heating system in the 124-year-old building, which a recent update outlines—and weekly payroll in addition to rent, utilities and recent DOH fines. There is no deadline for this crowd-funding project and funds are paid to the recipient every 24 hours.
When we see potential shutterings like these, we can't help but think of our #SaveNYC issue and our Love Local awards, both of which highlight New Yorkers' favorite neighborhood hangouts and iconic haunts that we'd hate to see fade away. Remember: It's never too late to save the places you love most—you just gotta go out and be there.
Manitoba's, 99 Ave B between 6th and 7th Sts (212-982-2511, manitobas.com)
Spirited, 638 Bergen St at Vanderbilt Ave, Crown Heights, Brooklyn (718-783-5700, spiritedbrooklyn.com)
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UPDATE: At midnight on Wednesday, Feb 18 the Manitoba's crowd-funding campaign closed, raising more than $31,000 to keep the bar in business. Nearly 700 patrons contributed to the fund, which will be used to settle that pesky unspecified law suit, pay lawyers, send thank-you mailers to the Indiegogo backers and potentially throw a party to celebrate the success. On Facebook, owner Rick Manitoba said it simply: Manitoba's is saved!