Williamsburg’s St. Anselm (355 Metropolitan Ave) experienced a fire in the early hours of September 11 and is closed until further notice. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but it did leave more than 30 people without jobs.
To help, St. Anselm employees have started a Go Fund Me campaign to raise money so that the employees left without work can pay their rent and other bills. The page states that “the funds raised here will be given directly to the non-salaried staff,” who were given a severance of one week and are able to file for unemployment. But this small amount will not cover living expenses for the “months” that it will take to repair and rebuild St. Anselm.
The Go Fund Me campaign asks for locals to donate any amount they can as “every dollar counts.”
St. Anselm has served locals since 2010. The Go Fund Me page states that the restaurant is “historically staffed by a predominantly female kitchen crew” and “has always pushed the boundaries of what qualifies as a classic NY steakhouse.”
A second Williamsburg spot also started a Go Fund Me campaign this week. 7 Grain Army (88 Roebling St.), a gluten-free bakery that opened four years ago, is in need of capital to stay afloat.
7 Grain Army’s Go Fund Me campaign explains that the building that houses the bakery was recently acquired by an unhelpful landlord. The owners of 7 Grain Army said that they attempted to renegotiate their expensive lease, but the landlord instead dished out an eviction notice. The bakery was also hit with a tax levy and all revenue streams have been seized.
7 Grain Army’s owners say that they have a plan, which includes cleaning up their debt, investing in ovens, obtaining wholesale clients, and trying to get direct to consumer accounts.
7 Grain Army calls itself a “wellness bakery” and churns out 100% gluten-free products. Most of the baked goods are also dairy-free and allergen-friendly, such as muffins made with whole grains and coconut yogurt instead of butter and white sugar.