We're still collecting donations
On the 12th July 2023 we'd raised £4,958 with 105 supporters in 69 days. But as every pound matters, we're continuing to collect donations from supporters.
Our landlord is ending our lease on 01/08/23 & rather than close we are looking for a new home - moving is expensive & we need your support!
On the 12th July 2023 we'd raised £4,958 with 105 supporters in 69 days. But as every pound matters, we're continuing to collect donations from supporters.
We started Tempo Tea Bar in October 2013 & were both looking forward to hitting the awesome business milestone of trading for 10 years. However our excitement faded when we got the letter from our Landlord that he is exercising his right to take back the unit at year 10 and ending our lease 5 years early. It's a real shame that we have built an amazing community and a safe space for our customers, it can disappear with just one letter from our landlord.
Since the pandemic we had to establish other revenue streams which luckily have been a success despite having to face these obstacles:
- The pandemic where we had to make the tough decision to close our Edinburgh store
- War on Ukraine which led from our energy bills going from £300 - £400 to £1500 a month
- Cost of living crisis, our suppliers tripling their prices
- Increase of staff wages inline with inflation which will add an extra few thousand pounds a month to our wage bill
With all of these challenges, we faced them and dealt with them, never did we think we'd ever close our Glasgow store. However, you can't always prepare or control external factors such as your landlord deciding to end your lease early. This was not something we even imagined or thought would happen and we had to decide if moving unit would be the right business decision as moving is expensive!
We decided to crowdfund to support us with the moving the costs involved, these are:
- Legal costs - approx £1500
- Rent deposit, this depends on the rent and number of months negotiated for the deposit, this can be 3-6 months required - upward of £5000
- Fit out - depending on the state of the unit it can be upwards of £10000
- Rent/rates/services/utilities overlap - having to pay double the rent for the old unit and new unit for a couple months whilst doing up the new unit so we can transition from one location to the other - upward of £6000
- Uncertainty - unfortunately there is likely to be more costs which we have not accounted for, as more likely than not the actual amount needed can be 20-30% higher than what we have budgeted. We experienced this when setting up our past stores that cost us over £30,000 per store.
Therefore, the costs for us to just move unit could cost a minimum of upwards £22,500
After we announced to our community that we were closing our store due to this external factor, we were overwhelmed with the support. Fuelled by the kind words of support and many of you mentioning that we should set up a crowdfunder to allow us to still have a physical store, we decided that you're right, we must find another home and safe space for our customers, and here we are, doing just that!
Tempo began it's journey as just one physical store that it would be sad for this pillar of our business to just disappear. Therefore, we're asking you, our customer to join in on this journey in finding a new home for us and our team!
Reflecting on the last 10 years of Tempo, we're grateful for the support of all our customers to allow us to hit this incredible milestone and cannot wait for the next 10 years.
Frequently asked questions:
Q1. What happens to my pledge if the campaign is not successful?
Don't worry, no money will be taken if after the campaign ends and it hasn't been successful
Q2. Can I pledge for someone else?
Definitely! Just make sure you put in their details for the shipping details when you pledge.
Q3. Can I pledge without receiving a reward, is that still allowed?
Yes, if you just want to just pledge and not receive a reward for supporting our campaign (much appreciated) then you can just select how much you wish to pledge under "no reward"
Q4. Can I pledge anonymously?
Yes, you can opt to hide your name from other supporters list by ticking the relevant box when making your pledge. Don't worry, we will still be able to see your details. If you are opting for a reward as a gift.
Q5. Can I pledge on more than one reward?
A. Yes, of course, you can choose as many rewards as you like. (The more the merrier right?) You will need to make a new separate pledge for each reward. If you get stuck, you can message [email protected] for help.
Q6. Is delivery included?
A. Yes. All pledges include postage & packaging costs. Please note that shipping is within the UK only.
What do customers say about Tempo:
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