The King of Crowd Funding in the UK Elite Bistros founder Gary Usher raised £100.000 in 11 hours to continue work on his Kala site in Manchester which opened in May this year..

The chef and restaurateur managed to accumulate 30% of his target within 10 minutes and £63,314 with 658 backers within one hour of launching the fundraiser at 9pm in March of 2019. Perks offered to investors, include guest chef nights with Tom Kerridge, monogrammed aprons and meals at other Elite Bistros sites. The crowd funding project was scheduled to run for 100 hours in total.

However Usher successfully reached the total in just 11 hours with the support of more than 1,000 backers

Usher launched his restaurant group Elite Bistros of the World with Sticky Walnut which opened in Hoole, Chester, in 2011. Burnt Truffle followed in July 2015 after securing more than £100,000 through Usher’s first Kick starter campaign. Didsbury-based Hispi followed suit, receiving nearly £60,000 in pledges.

In May 2017, Usher raised more than £200,000 from 1,522 backers for his fourth restaurant, Wreckfish, in Liverpool. It is believed to be the most money ever raised for a restaurant through a crowd funding campaign in the UK.

Amazing, I have often been approached by people saying why don’t you open another restaurant? It must be easy to find backers with your experience. Not in my experience!!