TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A Tucson vegan restaurant that has served the community for 20 years is asking for help to survive.
The owners of Lovin' Spoonfuls, a vegan restaurant and bakery in midtown Tucson, launched a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of raising $75,000 to pay off debt they say is creating the biggest financial strain each month.
So far, the campaign has raised about $17,000, nearly 25% of the $75,000 goal.
Michelle Cornett and her husband have owned Lovin' Spoonfuls for three years. They say they worked to cut expenses and keep the business running, but debts continued to pile up. Those cuts include shortening operating hours earlier this year.
"So, it's kind of snowballed and we just ended up with more debt when we have things that we have to fix and labor and food just going up, inflation," Cornett said.
Last week, Cornett says the couple was preparing to close the restaurant for good. She says her husband has not taken a paycheck in three months.
"So, it's like we have no more money to put into the business. So it's time to close. What are we going to do--we still need to have the roof over our head and the clothes on our back. We have a family to take care of," Cornett said. "We were just going to close, but we felt like that wasn't fair to not give the community an opportunity to eat."
Instead of quietly shutting the doors, the owners decided to post on social media, hoping someone in the community might step in and take over the restaurant. The response surprised them.
"Everyone was like, 'No, don't do it, just do a GoFundMe.' And so, we swallowed our pride," Cornett said.
Donations have poured in from loyal customers, strangers and fellow business owners since the campaign launched.
"The love is just overwhelming for us. So, me sitting here doing this with you is for them because it's not—this is not for me, this is not for my husband, this is for the community," Cornett said.
Cornett says if they can eliminate the debt, they will be able to catch up on rent, pay off repair-related loans and continue moving the restaurant forward.
"We're trying to see where we're at by the end of June. It's just day by day. That's all we can do right now," Cornett said.
Lovin' Spoonfuls isn't the only Tucson restaurant that has recently closed or is facing closure due to rising costs.
READ MORE | Tucson Tamale Market announces closure
Although the future of Lovin' Spoonfuls remains uncertain, the owners say the community's response has given them something they didn't have just a week ago—hope.
On Saturday, June 27, the restaurant is extending hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for a special Italian Dinner Night, with dinner being served from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Cornett says this is something they are doing every last Saturday of the month.
Lovin' Spoonfuls is located at 2990 N. Campbell Ave. #120 and is open daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
——
Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
