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!

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.

Sorry I didn’t see this when you posted it; it’s a sentiment that comes only with maturity.

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.

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!!!