Investing in Community

Many of you have heard us talk about the Bobcat Café model. Briefly, Bristol residents asked restaurateur Robert Fuller to open a local establishment. At first, he was hesitant, but agreed to proceed with the project if 12 local people came forward to demonstrate their commitment to the restaurant by lending $5,000 each. In a week, Fuller had 18 commitments and he soon had to cap the number at 32. Those 32 people, plus their families, friends and neighbors, are a vital part of the Bobcat Café's success. We've visited the Bobcat Café and met with Robert Fuller, and his approach has inspired both our community investment model and fueled our desire to create a "third place" in downtown Hardwick. To read the full story of the Bobcat Cafe, visit the Preservation Trust of Vermont at http://www.ptvermont.org/success/bobcat.htm

As in the Bobcat Café model, our community investment model invites everyone to participate in the success of Claire's, and draws on local sources of capital. Many of you have heard about the Community Supported Restaurant Coupons. Thank you to everyone who has purchased a coupon already! We have commitments for almost half of the 50 we have to offer. Each coupon is $1,000, and provides discount of $25 one time per month, for ten months of every year, during the first four years of operations. We encourage you to buy yours now. Contact us at newvermontcooking@yahoo.com if you have questions or to reserve your place on the list to purchase a coupon, or if you don't have questions, go ahead and send a check payable to Claire's to P.O. Box 1127, Hardwick, VT 05843.

Additionally, the Hardwick Restaurant Group, LLC is raising capital for leasing and equipping the restaurant space, and Claire's Bar and Restaurant, LLC seeks funds for operations and working capital. Both the Hardwick Restaurant Group and Claire's Bar and Restaurant are raising capital in what are called, under the law, "separate private offerings to qualified investors." We strongly believe in a community investment model, where everyone in the community has a vested interest in the proposed project and a stake in the future of Main Street. In order to comply with applicable securities laws, these offerings are limited to a small number of qualified investors. Any form of general solicitation is prohibited.

You are invited to be in touch with us if we haven't contacted you. Please write to Linda Ramsdell at linda@vtlink.net or telephone 586-9964. We'll respond with additional information about investment opportunities. Any actual offering of securities will be subject to additional disclosure and a waiting period prior to any acceptance of any investment.

Purchase your CSR Coupons Now:

A total of only 50 CSR Coupons will be available, in the amount of $1,000

Provides 40 $25 dining coupons
Enough for four years of dining
Spendable ten months of each year
Only one per monthYou pick the months it applies
Unused certificates expire

Your friends and neighbors have already signed up for nearly half of the available coupons!

To get on the list, email newvermontcooking@yahoo.com or send a check payable to Claire's to P.O. Box 1127, Hardwick, VT 05843.