Help Burien Press Fund its forever home
The short & Sweet
Burien Press has the opportunity to buy the space it’s located in along with the empty space next door. We’d been saving for a downpayment since we first got started in 2014 with the hopes to buy the building one day but during the Covid-19, we made the choice to use the entirety of our savings to keep our team fully employed. Before we’ve had the ability to save the down payment again, our landlord decided it was time to sell. Thankfully we found some very generous local folks to invest and help give us a little time to work out a down payment and loan. That brings us to today. We have through this summer to raise enough money to put a down payment on the loan. Without a lease, if Burien Press’ doesn’t buy the building out future remains uncertain. Our goal is to to purchase the building, expand Burien Press by around 50%, relocate our production kitchen to the new space, and convert the remaining space to rentable space for more local small businesses in downtown Burien.
No matter if it’s a contribution to our gofundme, a preorder of merch, buying a gift card, or just sharing our campaign, we need all the help we can possibly get and we’re thankful for it.
Burien Press wouldn’t be the same without you. Thank you.
The long & long
In 2014, we had the opportunity to take over our beloved neighborhood coffee shop, Burien Press. We've spent each day since then working to create a place where people have the experience of being seen, heard, and taken care of. We believe that a world that works for everyone is possible, and we intend to prove it by how we show up every day. Over the years, we've opened other cafes and changed quite a bit with new offerings such as house-made food, local beer, and natural wine.
We always had the dream of purchasing the building Burien Press calls home in downtown Burien. Our landlord agreed that when he was ready, he would give us the first opportunity to buy it. So, since day one, we saved whenever we could and put away enough for a down payment. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we chose to use all of that savings to keep every person on our team employed. That's a choice we still stand by and believe in. Soon after the money was spent, our landlord let us know that he was ready to sell the building with the completion of our lease term. Fortunately, some wonderful Burien locals stepped in to give us time to save a down payment and secure a loan for the purchase. Because our lease was completed with the sale, if we don't purchase the building, our future is uncertain.
We need your help. The opportunity is to purchase the building, which includes Burien Press' space and the large vacant space next door. This will allow us to create a permanent home in Burien, expand Burien Press, relocate our production kitchen, and create smaller spaces perfect for a few other small businesses.
Ultimately, we need to raise $150,000 for the down payment by this fall. We've been working with the SBA to prepare for the loan, and this is the last big step for us to make this dream a reality. With the uncertainty related to the Federal Government and the SBA this year, we're also looking for less conventional opportunities to secure a real estate loan. We're confident that there are folks out there with the knowledge, connections, and ideas that can make this possible.
