Fet Fisk has been doing mostly pop-ups at different restaurants around Pittsburgh and occasionally take out from their space in Shaler. They just announced they are opening a restaurant in Bloomfield.

Fet Fisk sounds delicious but they also have a gofundme which is one of the trashiest ways to crowdfund your restaurant.

If you don’t want to donate you don’t have you. Don’t have to be a jagoff about how someone wants to raise funds.

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A white dude gofundme-ing a fancy restaurant in a working class Pittsburgh neighborhood is giving major Seussian vibes but hey I’m just some jagoff!

Did you mean "Sousaian"? ;)

Is it a restaurant that serves green eggs and ham or just a heavily indebted restaurant?

Yay passive racism!

They had me at smoked trout.

Agreed about the crowdfunding campaigns for restaurants, or retail, or shady animal cafes that usually foreshadow issues later. But, I'm not sure a fancy restaurant would be really out of place in Bloomfield, or that it's necessarily a working-class neighborhood anymore. Plus, 1/3 of this team is a brown guy and another 1/3 is a white woman, so while I take any opportunity I can to promote Kevin Sousa for the Mt. Rushmore of Shitty Pittsburghers, I don't think his race or gender matter here (especially since working class neighborhoods in Pittsburgh were historically populated by white guys and families).

🤣🤣🤣

we dont get along but i agree with you on this one. this sub tore the owners of the potential hiphop themed fried chicken restaurant in east liberty when they tried to crowd-fund.

But this sub is fickle and the mods dont adhere to their own guidelines (look at all the sports posts they allow).

I'm still looking forward to trying their food again, but this rubbed me the wrong way a bit too. A similarly hip restaurant that recently opened used a microfinance campaign that seemed much more appropriate for a for-profit business. However, if someone wants to essentially tip them in advance, that's their prerogative.

I’m with you 412% if I see someone using Honeycomb or other crowdsourcing stuff to help run or start their business I’m all about it. I can’t wait to try EYV later this week for that exact reason!

Using the same platform people have to use to beg for help with medical bills for extra cash while opening your boujee restaurant is quintessential trashy.

EYV was exactly who I was referring to! I haven't been to their brick and mortar location yet, but their pop-up at Station we went to was really excellent. I think they're still BYOB and waiting longer than they expected for their liquor license, which has definitely not been good for business. (Something is jacked up with the county--Back to the Foodture is waiting longer than anticipated as well.)

Most restaurants will likely lose money despite the incredible hard work that owners put into them. Most restaurant owners are undercapitalized and have no access to the lending that other businesses can access. No banks want to lend to restaurants. See first point above.

And so after doing a few thousand dish shifts, unclogging a few hundred toilets, canceling untold number of plans with family or friends because you have to cover a call off, taking no vacations (like literally zero), dealing with the general public (read every week there's an asshole), and too many other things to list here, you're lucky if your body hasn't broken down, you're not mentally strung out, and you're not broke. This is the life of overwhelming majority of restaurants owners.

I have no interest in Fet Fisk but I know the people involved and they are great people. They are not getting rich off this shit. They'll be lucky if they get fully funded and still don't go broke in three or four years. In the meanwhile, they will have created countless unforgettable dining experiences for Pittsburgh. But yeah, don't give them money, that would be an awful thing to do.

It takes about a year or longer for license

Good for Apteka, that place owns.

Fet-Fisk is phenomenal if you're able to try it, do it. Most of their pop-ups sell out rather quickly.

Nik is a great chef and a great person. The other two folks helping with logistics/planning/funding almost guarantee that this place will be fantastic. Greg is from 412 food rescue, and Kate runs Black Radish Kitchen in Point Breeze.

A brick and mortar location is gonna be amazing and something going into Lombardozzi's is a good thing.

Apteka is absolutely delicious. Both owners are some of the most wonderful people/chefs, and they deserve the love. Most importantly, they pay a fair and livable wage.

TLDR:. Both places absolutely deserve the love.

Is it secretly Kevin Sousa?

What? I will gladly pay for good food at fair prices. I don't understand your tone here.

Have eaten Nick's food via catering on three, separate, occasions. All three were incredible. Will gladly support if he can get the restaurant open in Bloomfield.

Apteka gets all the credit they deserve and I've sold hop starts to Tom a few years ago.

This notoriety is earned and hopefully it gives the winner something they need.

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The people who already opened Muddy Waters were trying to do a GoFundMe for what is now Bird on the Run? I don't remember that.

Uhhh….wha?

If only I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say they would gladly pay a "fair" price for their food. My tone is because I highly doubt that you (or most people who opine on restaurant matters) would be able to discern a fair price when presented with one.

What's next? Gofundme hardware store?

I believe it was the coop people. I remember the outrage over the crowdfunding request and the cultural appropriation, more than the restauranteur.

If only they would listen to Robert Irvine and watch old episodes of Restaurant Impossible, all would be good. Oh yeah, new episode tonight on Food Network at 8!

I was just curious because I don't remember any GoFundMe + Chicken spot.

I think they were replying to a comment on the thread about the restaurant asking for help with funding? That would make more sense

Oh. Yea. Mansplaining. Keep your nickels. I've never spent a minute working in a restaurant. You know me too well.

I am equally predisposed to shaking my head at unnecessary crowdfunding, but I read the description for the fet Fisk one and it’s pretty thorough and addresses most of the issues people would be wary about. It’s a solid, thoughtful plan.

I think your comments were displaced from the post you were trying to reply to!

Yup, I meant to reply to another comment.

All I am saying is that running a restaurant is a different beast then most jobs. And it is a thankless one that often ends in ruins for those who attempt it, despite giving it everything they've got. I have no idea who you are or what you've done in the business, but if you've owned or been primarily responsible for the operation of an entire establishment and feel differently, then you are a lucky one.

This is a bad take.

How Much do they pay?

You don't know me. And your comments are deeply presumptuous. Check your presumption. That's all I'm saying. Cause jagoffs sound a lot like you. I don't know you, or pretend to. I'm not saying you're a jagoff. But you sound a lot like one. And it don't sound good.

PSA they have a Gofundme up for the restaurant if anyone has anything to donate! Fet Fisk is delicious and worth anything you can give.

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Apteka started with a crowd funding campaign too.

Update to say that before they opened Apteka, Tomasz and Kate started this all with these awesome all you can eat pierogi vs (some other cuisine) nights (starting back around 2008 maybe?) that eventually settled at the community centre on Main St. They were so popular there were always lines out the door. IIRC they bought the building that is now Apteka but they did the crowdfunding for the renovations since it was not configured as a restaurant before. Stop the downvotes and hate here guys. They were really scraping together and had built a lot of support with a loyal community for years before Apteka.

i love the extra emphasis on no vacation for restaurant owners considering no employees under them will ever get one anyway lmfao

Loved living over top of it…such great people working there

That's dope. I live in and regularly travel to a lot of more renowned food cities, especially for vegans, and honestly Apteka doing my food from my culture and my home in vegan form, and absolutely crushing it, gives me all the warm fuzzies inside.

Just went to the Chinese place that won it last year I think. It was incredible!! I’ll have to check these out when I come back this summer

Well that's pretty gross. Tomasz has $$$

Don't dis him. Please read my updated post for some background I added.

The background you added doesn't change the fact that Tomasz could've paid for those renovations out of pocket without breaking a sweat, and instead chose to crowdfund.

Anyhow, pointing out that he has money isn't much of a 'dis'. If you really want to hear folks dis him, you should talk to some of his former employees & partners (business and otherwise)!