Last weekend I was invited down to Ellerslie for a street BBQ being held at the location for new community cafe, Open Table.
Open Table are currently raising $20,000 on Kickstarter. The BBQ was one of the methods creator Hannah Feenstra has been using to get the word out to the local community. Having backed this project fairly early on Kickstarter, I was pretty excited to see how the food tasted and what the location was like.
I’m happy to say the food is simply amazing. And the location was hard to miss – particularly with half the local community floating about eating the wraps and slices lovingly prepared by Feenstra and her team of dedicated helpers. While I was there I heard her ambassadors out talking to locals about Kickstarter and how it works. They made it clear that they needed the support, and without it the project could fall over. It seems to have made a difference, with over $700 being added to the tally on Sunday, bringing the project’s current total to 28% of their goal.
Hannah explained to me that her inspiration for the cafe came from large extended family meals around a large table and amazing food. She’s aiming to recreate that experience, allowing the whole community to come together to share their laughter, dreams and ideas.
The particular community Open Table will be located in is also important to her. Having attended Michael Park School for most of her life, she knew the school community is very strong.
She goes on to explain the site also made sense from a business perspective. There is a lack of great cafes in the area, and the bakery that used to be next door (Paris Berlin, by Bread & Butter founder Isabel Pasch) is sorely missed. The addition of Open Table to the area means that Pasch’s treats will once again be in stock for the community to enjoy, along with quality Kokako coffee.
A graduate of Otago University’s Masters in Entrepreneurship program, Feenstra had been exposed to the idea of crowdfunding through alum Anna Guenther, the Chief Bubble Blower at PledgeMe. The decision to crowdfund is directly related to Feenstra’s vision of a community cafe, with Kickstarter being the perfect way to involve the community in actually getting Open Table open, as well as raising some much-needed capital.
On successful fundrasing, Open Table will be open for business in June on Michaels Ave in Ellerslie.
You can back Open Table and grab one of their amazing rewards now on Kickstarter.
