Dandelion Community Cafe (Instagram | Facebook | Website) has closed is doors for good. Owner Chris Blanc announced the restaurant's immediate permanent closure via a message on its website Monday. Below is the message in its entirety.
"Thank You Community for 14 magical years!
Due to a variety of factors outside of our control, including the heavy impact of COVID-19, Dandelion Community Cafe is permanently closed, effective August 11th, 2020.
My name is Chris Blanc, and I am an original founder of Dandelion Community Cafe. I have been at Dandelion since well before the doors of our little green bungalow opened to the community. I have had significant ownership from our very beginning. Since about 10 years ago, members of my family have contributed major investments in me, the cafe and also the community. It eventually became 100% family owned and operated. We kept the doors open for 14 years. Dandelion Community Cafe was a successful family business, growing with a vibrant community that we cared deeply about.
It is with a heavy heart, but clear mind, that I make the decision to permanently close our special place. It has proven extremely difficult to operate a business in this current environment. The last few months have required an almost complete change to our business in the way we serve our community, at great financial cost. Unfortunately, it is no longer sustainable for Dandelion Community Cafe to continue to operate, and I have made the difficult decision to permanently close our family business. Please respect my decision. I ask for privacy at this time, and wish you all well.
Thank you for the memories, Chris Blanc Dandelion Community Cafe Forward all inquiries to info@dandelioncommunity.com"
The permanent closure comes a week after a Blanc announced a temporary closure of the restaurant August 10th after Dandelion employees formed a union called The Seeds (Instagram | Facebook).
The Seeds released a statement Monday about the closure: "Today management of Dandelion Community Cafe decided to close its doors for good. We are shocked and saddened at this decision. Though management claims they closed for reasons outside of their control, they always had the option of working with us. We will always cherish what the Dandelion community has given us. Now more than ever, we hope you will donate to our hardship fund to help employees that are now out of work. We will continue to fight for worker’s rights. We love you Dandelion."
Last week The Seeds union said it presented a letter to management August 10th announcing the formation of the union. Along with presenting the letter it asked for a meeting with management and the re-hiring of an employee it claimed was "unlawfully" fired on August 8th. It said the employee, not named, was fired "for asking to have a staff meeting." The Seeds union says employees were told that same day by owner Chris Blanc via text that the restaurant would be closed for the rest of the week. The group went on to ask the public to protest the restaurant and sign a letter of support. They also staged a protest in front of the closed restaurant.
