Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Coal Region Canary
Coal Region CanaryCoal Region Canary

Coronavirus in Schuylkill County

Pitman Business Gets Grant from The Barstool Fund

pitman business the barstool fund

pitman business the barstool fund

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy recently started The Barstool Fund to help struggling small businesses get through the COVID pandemic. And a Schuylkill County restaurant and bar just became one of the fortunate small businesses to receive some of that help.

On Tuesday, Portnoy placed a call to Melissa Hoffman-Long, a co-owner of Jack’s Spot Tavern in Pitman, to let her know she’d been selected as one of the fortunate recipients of help from The Barstool Fund.

Pitman Business Gets Help from The Barstool Fund

“I can’t believe this is happening,” she said as she got a little emotional hearing the news from Portnoy himself. “Thank you so much! I promise, the money will not go to waste.”

Check out how that call went down as Portnoy informs Hoffman-Long of the news as she’s “burning Christmas trash”:

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.
https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1658728627906147

The Barstool Fund Helps Pitman Restaurant Through COVID Pandemic

Portnoy became increasingly frustrated by the most recent business shutdown orders imposed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio. Pennsylvania, of course, has similar restrictions in place as New York does. Indoor dining has been banned until Jan. 4 in Pennsylvania, and bars have essentially been closed or severely limited in operations since March.

Portnoy’s a big supporter of small businesses, especially pizza restaurants, which he features on his “One Bite” review series. Portnoy’s business, Barstool Sports, too, was once a small business. So he gets the struggle.

Hoffman-Long wrote to The Barstool Fund explaining why the company needed to stay open. She says the business has adapted to the never-ending restrictions on it and hadn’t found any luck in getting grants or loans to help to this point.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.
https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1658728627906147

Jack’s Spot has 3 full-time employees and Hoffman-Long says she and her husband Nick, the other owner, do not draw a paycheck from the business. They have full-time jobs elsewhere for that.

“We have three employees who rely on us as their only source of income, and we have built the most fantastic staff of part-time employees. Our focus has been on keeping it in the black, and keeping everyone employed so we are ready to rock once we get to the other side,” she writes to Portnoy.

She explained that applying for help from The Barstool Fund was her attempt to “shake any tree” at this point in the business’s struggle to stay afloat.

“Summer went well enough, but not being able to have late-night events crushed us and our bank account, and now that indoor dining is once again shut down in PA, we had to cancel all of our private parties for December. We are not able to capitalize on late night DJs or other holiday events that paid our end of the year property and school taxes last December,” she added.

How The Barstool Fund Works

Portnoy started The Barstool Fund with $500,000 of his own money which he promised to give as grants to small businesses who applied for it. Unlike other relief efforts, like the PPP loans, EIDL loans from the Small Business Administration, and local money from the closely guarded COVID grants, The Barstool Fund promises to help winning businesses month to month until they resume normal operations.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.
https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1658728627906147

Portnoy says he’ll fund these businesses to help them avoid closing each month. Since creating the fund with his half-million dollars, other entrepreneurs like Jon Taffer (Bar Rescue) have promised to help.

As of us hitting the Publish button on this article, The Barstool Fund has raised more than $9.1 million and supported nearly 40 small businesses with promised grants.

ALSO READ:

Subscribe to Coal Region Canary

Get email updates from Coal Region Canary by becoming a subscriber today. Just enter your email address below to get started!
Loading

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More From The Canary

Obituaries Index

The latest obituaries from Schuylkill County .

PA Lottery Numbers

Check those tickets!

Local Weather

The S word is in the forecast but doesn't look like it's anything to worry about at all.

Local Business News

Learn the inspiring story behind what started this handmade leather earrings business.

Local Business News

Lots of great gift ideas this holiday season from Pressed!

Schuylkill County Obituaries

Michael W. Brennan Jr., 53, of Tower City, passed away Thursday, November 30, 2023 at the Lehigh Valley Hospital, Pottsville.

Schuylkill County Obituaries

Carolyn Jane (Lanzetta) Carroll formerly of Auburn, age 82, passed away peacefully at Tremont Health and Rehab Center, Tremont, after an extended battle with...

Schuylkill County Obituaries

Stanley P. Brozana Jr. passed away at his home on Tuesday, Nov. 28 at the age of 72 after a battle with brain tumors...

Schuylkill County Obituaries

Alberta “Dolly” Eye, 100, Girardville, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, November 28th.

Schuylkill County Obituaries

Gerald Reading, 75, of Schuylkill Haven passed away Wednesday, November 29th, at Geisinger Medical Center, Danville.

Schuylkill County Obituaries

Gerald Reading, 75, of Schuylkill Haven passed away Wednesday, November 29th, at Geisinger Medical Center, Danville.

Schuylkill County News

Autopsy revealed intrauterine fentanyl toxicity, court documents show.

Advertisement https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1658728627906147