It’s been just over a year since Cassava Bakery opened on Balboa near 36th Avenue, but the small cafe, owned by married couple Yuka Ioroi and Kristoffer Toliao, has already expanded.
The cafe has been popular since it opened, offering up a unique Japanese breakfast, tasty cafe bites from chef Kris, great coffee, and pop-up dinners on Friday nights with gourmet menus.
But the real reason it’s popular is its atmosphere and neighborhood feel. Yuka and Kris know their customers, and make them feel at home and comfortable. I remember stopping in early on and having to sit outside because their few inside tables were full. Yuka came out with warm blankets to put on us to weather the Richmond fog.
Earlier this month, “Cassava 2.0” re-opened after completing construction to expand into the space next door.
That expansion, coupled with a larger restaurant menu and future bar service, is inching Cassava closer to the vision Yuka and Kris have of bringing the Parisian cafe experience to the outer Richmond District. A place where neighbors can come together, enjoy good food and drink, discuss the issues of the day, or just relax.
To keep going, Cassava is turning to the community via Kickstarter for help with bringing their next vision to life: an outdoor patio featuring an edible garden that chef Kris can cook with.
It’s not the first time a local business has turned to its supporters for financial help. In Late 2011, the Bazaar Cafe on California Street revealed that they were struggling financially, and would have to close. Customers and community members stepped up and donated $20,000 to keep the cafe in business.
Check out Cassava’s video above, and if you’d like to contribute to their vision, visit their Kickstarter page. As with most Kickstarter projects, different levels of contribution to Cassava’s project comes with a bonus like an e-book of Chef Kris’ favorite recipes, invitation to a private thank you party, 3-course meals prepared by Chef Kris, and even a 1 on 1 cooking lesson.
Every Kickstarter contribution is a pledge – if Cassava doesn’t make their goal, no one contributes. Their goal is to raise $20,000 by August 2, and they’re over halfway there.
Good luck Cassava!
Sarah B.
So basically investors, with no return? Weird.
@Matt – There are rewards/gifts associated with your contribution; what they are depends on how much you pledge. But yes, you are correct in that you won’t get that money back. You’re making an investment in Cassava, and its contribution to the outer Richmond community.
Sarah B.
I love this place and it is a wonderful addition to the neighborhood. I am happy to make a small contribution towards a nice heated patio…. I look forward to enjoying a coffee there soon.
I think that I’m gonna get one of those dinners for my lady and I!
bravo Matt, you have everything figured out please go teach at business school and preach how to “invest” in walmart products. THE PEOPLe neeeed to know!
-The designs look great. Very exciting to be a part of 🙂
I want to like this place. The food is good, and I’m glad they are expanding. It was needed because of their popularity. But it really angers me that not only do they not have decaf coffee, but they put messaging on their menu board about how they don’t serve it because it’s not good for you. I’m fine with Trouble and others who don’t offer decaf (I get tea lattes or any number of other options), but they never make me feel like a bad person for drinking decaf. Why not offer water process decaf if it’s such an issue? OK, there’s my rant. I do wish them luck but I hesitate to give money because it seems a bit judgy (to me). First world problems? Probably.
I really have a problem with Kickstarter for businesses. What happened to getting a business loan at the credit union or bank? I am already supporting a business by patronizing them. I think the word “donation” is disingenuous considering they don’t fall under the IRS’ category of a non-profit that can accept donations. It will be interesting to see what the IRS will have to say about Kickstarter. It is bound to happen since businesses and even movies are turning to this as a way to raise capital.
Before people start attacking me for poo pooing this, you can “donate” if you want but I’d rather “donate” to a real non-profit – one that I can actually get a tax write off on!
sfresident – I don’t want to poopoo you for your comment, only for not first acknowledging that the economy collapsed a few years ago and the banks are not lending, especially to small businesses. Hence why crowdsourcing sites have taken off exponentially.
No, you do not get anything monetary in return for you personally, only some good food or recipes and a new great cozy spot in the neighborhood. You could even sit at one of the tables with a coffee while you count your pennies!
wee1 – I don’t think posting a public health message is not judgy, it’s actually quite nice.
It’s all about community-building, which apparently we could all use!
So, RichmondWow suggests you’re cheap if you don’t contribute (“count your pennies”). Hmm, more like that of the cafe owners who want something for free without working for it. Gimme. This sort of thing does not benefit the community in any way, though it might be nice for a “few.” And the business owners.
But good luck to them anyway.
Best of luck to Kris & Yuka! This cafe has brightened the neighborhood with charm and curry puffs! Please know that if you do decide to contribute to their campaign you there is not a more deserving or appreciative couple that you could be helping. If contributing a small amount in return for a token gift means helping a small business thrive in this city count me in! Cheers and good luck, Cassava!!
I think I agree with Matt and sfresident re “donating” to a for-profit business. Instead of an outright gift, I suggest folks instead provide an interest-free loan. It might involve a little bookkeeping, but that seems more equitable than the kickstarter approach. So, in the interest of both community building and fairness, maybe the folks at Casava will consider this model instead. What say you Kris and Yuka?
I really like the non-interest loan idea, but what I think most people on this forum are missing about this case is the fact that the Kickstarter model actually does give something in return. The beauty of that model is that you get to discover what you invested in, And the experience is in proportion to what you’ve invested.
This is not charity or giving to people who don’t want to work for it – exactly the opposite. And, contrary to what some people would like to make it look like, it is not political or a handout. Watch the video and you’ll see!
Let’s hear it for the non-interest loan suggestion.