DUB Pies: Chapter One, has ended.
We gave it everything for almost 20 years: Dec. 2003 - May 2022.
We're no longer trading, but as it's the American way to reincorporate and go again, perhaps there'll be a Chapter Two?
The short story is that the pandemic caused our demise. For more info, check below.
Interested in hearing if/when there's a DUB Pies: Chapter Two? Just share your email address on this site and you'll be the first to hear if/when we go back to pie-making.
Or, are you considering "picking up the (pie) ball" and running with it? Planning to make pies in the US? Let's talk. Perhaps you can take over where we left off? We're happy to provide any help we can. Email us: info@dubpies.com.
In terms of revenue, DUB's best 3 months in business were Jan - Mar of 2020.... the three months prior to the pandemic.
Like countless other food service businesses; lockdowns and the resulting turndown in business saw the closure of our Brooklyn-based cafe, forced the sale of our catering food truck and closure of our wholesale and catering programs. By April, 2020 revenue had reduced by 90%.
We pivoted to 100% online sales and worked hard to stay operational. We saw massive increases in the online sales and by mid 2021 catering and wholesale started trickling back in.
That growth, along with government assistance in the form of the PPP and the EIDL meant we were able to keep a skeleton crew of staff working..
By early 2021, it became evident we were fighting a losing battle. But then a bright glimmer of hope in the form of the Restaurant Revitalisation Fund (RRF) was launched as part of the American Rescue Act. Along with around 277,000 other small, large & very large food-service businesses - DUB applied & qualified for a very significant bailout.
However, instead of dividing up the $75B in an equitable manner amongst all qualified applicants, the fund management was woeful. 101,000 grants were provided - including to many businesses who received the maximum payout of $10M.
177,000 qualified businesses received nothing. The fund was depleted with a little over a third of applicants receiving funds.
Many members of Congress promised replenishment of the fund and spoke of the first $75B as just the "down-payment". A year later, the promise to replenish was reneged on.
177,000 qualified applicants received nothing from the RRF and many of them (including DUB) were forced to stop trading, having dug a hole that we were unable to climb out of.