Business

Fund selects Chadwick’s, well-known Bay Ridge restaurant, for aid program

January 12, 2021 Jaime DeJesus
Fund selects Chadwick’s, well-known Bay Ridge restaurant, for aid program
Photo courtesy of Chadwick’s
Share this:

`A longstanding, classic Brooklyn restaurant’

Chadwick’s, the well-known Bay Ridge restaurant that, like others, has struggled to stay afloat due to the COVID-19 pandemic has received a pleasant surprise that could help it survive.

On Saturday, Jan. 9, Gerry Morris, co-owner of the restaurant at 8822 3rd Ave., received a video call from Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, who informed him the longtime eatery has been selected for a grant from the Barstool Fund.

Subscribe to our newsletters

The Barstool Fund, which has now grown to more than $22 million, was created to give small businesses a chance to thrive as the digital company gives owners what they request to stay open. Among the famous contributors to the fund are superstar quarterback Tom Brady, Food Network host Guy Fieri, musician Kid Rock and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who recently agreed to donate $500,000 to the fund.

Portnoy says the fund will cut a check each month for a business until its financial crisis is over. Morris submitted a video and was thrilled when he got the call.

“I can’t believe it. Man, this is a surprise,” he told Portnoy. “We are giving it our best shot. It’s like a war and a lot of people are falling by the wayside and we are hoping to knuckle it out over the next couple of years.

Portnoy was impressed by the eatery, which has been in Bay Ridge for over three decades.

“There was something about it,” he said. “It felt like such a longstanding, classic Brooklyn restaurant and it spoke as someplace that shouldn’t go away. The good news is we are going to make sure that we get from point A, bridge the gap, to go back to what you’ve been doing.”

In November, this paper wrote about the anniversary of Chadwick’s, co-owned by Morris and Stephen Oliver, both of whom were born and raised in Bay Ridge.

“You’ve been doing one hell of a job,” Morris told Portnoy. “Talk about setting a role model for the rest of the country to just watch and follow. You guys are doing a fantastic job.”

Portnoy thinks the hundreds of thousands of people who have contributed to the fund is that he posts videos of the conversations on social media, which helps put faces to those that are struggling to stay afloat.

“Now that people are beginning to see the people behind it, that’s why we were able to raise the money and the more money we get we just want to help as many people as we can,” he added.

Chadwick’s posted the video on its Instagram page and has already received over 2,000 views with locals thrilled about the news.

“The best news I’ve recently heard,” said one fan. “Congrats and very well deserved! Can’t wait for a Manhattan and a steak.”

As for Bartsool Sports, it sells sports clothing and other memorabilia online.


Leave a Comment

Related Articles

Leave a Comment