A hotdog restaurant in the FairOaks Mall has extended its online crowdfunding campaign to help fund a move to downtown Columbus.
Special Dogs & More launched its $50,000 online fundraising campaign June 16 to help finance a move to the former Eagles Club at 217 Washington St., located across from the Bartholomew County Courthouse.
The restaurant had initially set a deadline of Thursday to secure all of the needed funding, but the campaign has been extended a month to Sept. 2, said Randy Lapidus, who co-owns the restaurant with his wife, Robin.
The business, which employs individuals with emotional and intellectual disabilities, has been operating at the mall since October.
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Fundable, the crowdfunding company, had offered to continue the campaign after individuals had issues making donations through the links on the crowdfunding page, Randy Lapidus said. As of Friday morning, the campaign had raised $39,200, nearly 80 percent of the goal.
Among the contributors helping the restaurant is Columbus native and former NASCAR driver Tony Stewart, who donated $5,000 to the cause.
“I believe we’re going to get there,” Lapidus said. “There’s no doubt we’ll hit that goal.”
The Columbus couple was inspired to open the restaurant after their daughter, Rachel, went into cardiac arrest July 27, 2011, and underwent treatment at a rehabilitation center in Indianapolis, requiring her to learn again how to read, write, count and comprehend the concept of time.
However, declining customer foot traffic at the mall led the couple to seek a different relocation for the restaurant. They hope to be in the downtown location in October to mark its one-year anniversary.
If the $50,000 goal is met, the money would be used for the build-out of the space, including renovations and the purchase of equipment, Randy Lapidus said.
He added that the owner of the building has agreed to hold the property for another 30 days as long as he has a deposit.
Special Dogs & More isn’t the only restaurant looking to operate in the 11,250-square-foot building. A second one, 4S Bistro, will occupy 2,075 square feet of space on the south side of the building, said Tara Board, director of brokerage services with Breeden Commercial.
Special Dogs & More will take up about 1,400 square feet.
The building is already home to a salon and art studio, while a group counseling firm recently signed a lease, Board said.
4S Bistro is expected to open in late August, said Shama Padalkar, who is among four couples who invested money into the project. Padalkar said the restaurant plans to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner to visitors.
The business will offer items such as smoothies, sandwiches, salads and other items, Padalkar said.
“We thought this would be a hangout place for people who don’t want to go to bars,” she said.
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To donate toward the online crowdfunding campaign for Special Dogs & More, visit fundable.com/special-dogs-more.
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