Avedano’s Meats at 235 Cortland is a culinary treasure and a Bernal Heights success story. Founded in 2007 in a space that has reportedly been a butcher shop since 1901, proprietors Melanie Eisemann, Tia Harrison, and Angela Wilson were true pioneers, opening Avadano’s several years before the idea of whole-animal, artisanal butcher shops became a well-understood thing.
But San Francisco is tough on our small businesses, so Avedano’s is now launching a crowdfunding campaign to raise additional capital needed to maintain the viability of the store in the years ahead.
This week, in an email to customers, Team Avedano’s wrote:
For 10 years this neighborhood, Bernal Heights, has trusted us to bring you nothing but the best. We know our sources, personally. It’s been an amazing 10 years, this business has provided us with a multitude of caring friends and neighbors. We’ve watched you and your families grow and change just as you’ve watched our’s do the same. Avedano’s has been a cornerstone of a thriving community on our strip that our neighbors always generously compliment. We are always humbled when we can provide the best quality, locally sourced meats, in the Bay area, to you the community we care so much about. We are very proud of what we do. We do it because we love and believe in it. We’ll never be rich, but it’s a rewarding life and we work with great people.
When Avedano’s opened it’s doors, we had 3 employee’s. Since then we have grown and improved and stand 10 members strong. We have been voted “Best in the Bay” 6 times in 3 different publications. However the food industry is NOT easy, and exists on razor thin margins. It has always been a challenge for us to maintain high standards, pay our employee’s a fair wage, repair facilities, and maintain equipment. So we do everything we can to keep it going.
To finance the growth, we’ve invested the small amount of profit we generate back into the business each year improving equipment, fixing our historic building, and maintaining our commitment to small farms and quality products. In this city and industry one needs to grow and evolve to stay alive. Now at the start of our second ten years we need to find new ways to continue to meet your needs. Please invest in your neighborhood butcher shop ensuring we can hit the next decade strong and vibrant, meeting you nourishment needs.
We are raising $50k to help us explore various avenues of growth and secure our future, while keeping the doors open for you. We would love your help; please visit our GoFundMe campaign!
You can learn more and contribute to the crowsdsourcing fund here.
PHOTO: Avedano’s during the March 2015 Orangepocalypse, by Telstar Logistics
Bernalwood 
Oh cool, another unsustainable private business is going the online panhandling route. This always ends well.
“This $50k will help us explore various avenues of growth, and secure our future…”
Cool story. Very specific capital utilization plan. But I guess with a con-man as president there’s no reason to stay out of the game.
Why be nasty about it (GoldenGateShark, Lost Tribe of College Hill Resident)? You’re not being forced to participate.
And what harm is it doing you if people decide support it? If anything, if others decide to, you’re more likely to continue to have a nice place in the neighborhood you can shop at.
A nice place? They make money from killing just like McDonalds.But it seems they aren’t making enough money so they are asking the community for more now. We have all seen the online panhandling business model lately and it is never sustainable.
If you don’t like the place, why do you care if it’s not sustainable?
Because we deserve a store in there that can make it on its own without looking for community handouts. Clear the space and let another business try if you cant make it.
I was on the fence about contributing but I just couldn’t resist throwing them a few shekels after reading your smug, self-righteous comment. You’re making a real difference in spreading your gospel and changing minds- keep going!
“we deserve”
Its pretty magnanimous throwing them a few Shekels. Almost 1 USD even. Fershtay?
My family and I are grateful for the presence of Avedano’s and all the other businesses that operate on Cortland. They contribute to making Bernal a unique village in The City and for that reason we support Avedano’s crowdfunding campaign and wish them success.
I guess it doesn’t hurt to ask, but they’re pretty slim on details re. what they’re using the money for or what their vision is. Does anyone get small business loans anymore?
A loan has to be paid back. Crowdfunding is free money. I like Avedano’s and I want them to be there when I need special meat/fish for entertaining, so I’ll throw them a few shekels, but, yeah, they’re pretty vague on their plans. They don’t even offer any special incentives – it wouldn’t cost too much to have a one-time “wine and snack” event or something for donors over a certain amount. They have the “udder room” that I’ve always wanted to rent but the cost is WAY TOO HIGH for me. Having said that it does seem weird, they’re asking “lunch pail, count our pennies” folks like me to chip in but I could NEVER afford the dining experience in the udder room – maybe they should hit those folks up instead – or if there is a lot of stranded investment, have a few “value-priced” events to bring in more $ & support
They’re butchers and lovers of fine meats, not marketing geniuses or analysts of the latest trends in fundraising. Maybe they could have taken another tack or made their pitch better, but all of this looky loo second guessing is beside the point. Their fundraising campaign is what it is, so either help or don’t help. I personally don’t shop there because my household does not eat a lot of meat, but the historical aspect of the space is something to be missed if it disappears (IMHO). My bottom line is that I hope they make it and stick around, whether by “panhandling” or other means. Anyone witness what happened to Drew’s on Church Street? What a train wreck that was…so sad when small local businesses die. Maybe a McDonald’s or Starbucks on Cortland would help put this in perspective.
“drewes” failed because of mismanagement; i doubt crowdfunding would have changed anything but the timeline.
i shopped there but often left scratching my head and empty handed. selection got slimmer and slimmer and the non meat items (including marinades and sauces and spice mixes and bread) vanished. wine sales stopped; a full liquor license went unused.
i liked buying what i was roasting and and what i was toasting together. it could have been a butchery and an “epicurean trader” like space but these concepts are tough to get right; up the street from drewes a portuguese convenience store/wine shop – bom dia – failed (i supported/shopped there too).
while sad to watch neither was a total disaster (just personal ones for the family owners involved); a new team at “barons” seems to want to grow it back. bom dia remains a question mark though window notes claim a return at some point.
on my walk between these storefronts and my home i regularly see “blue apron” boxes.
i wish avedano’s well but worry what a resort to crowdfunding portends. if you buy from this place i’d suggest you buy a little more….it is barbeque season. if we don’t buy from these places they will close. instagram photos of there exteriors don’t seem to bank much or spur sales.
who’d a thunk?
Agreed!
I love Avedanos.
In addition I would support this place much much more if their prices were not In the stratosphere. Bernal should NOT go NOE. NOT…
V. Small pork roast 25$ Last year … with a rosemary sprig??
I TRULY love the concept of local butchers, sustainable meat and I support local business to the max and I absolutely love the clean meat; I love the staff but cumm’on…. this pricing
…. Questionable…..
It is complex I know, but I have an opinion. No haters please.
I don’t believe Bom Dia is returning. Does anyone? Yeah, sad what happened to Drewes. Best of luck to Baron’s. I will continue to support Avedano’s. But if De La Soul couldn’t get my money on a crowdfunding campaign, nobody will. Just rubs me the wrong way. Lost your apartment in a fire? here you go. But, “we want to buy more stuff?” naah.
I thought Drewe’s failed because of Josh’s death? When one of the two brothers who runs a shop passes, it’s a huge blow and not many small businesses could succeed after that.
“Exploring various avenues of growth” is pretty ambiguous, but I would hardly think the business is unsustainable. A decade of high quality product and keeping that dilapidated building in respectable shape is expensive. I’m assuming that most of the money would go to maintenance of the building and all the authenticity they maintained from the original butcher shop. Probably not necessary, but neither is your donation.
Me and my roommate were looking to make his exquisite pies with lard and butter (no apologies given!), and wanted the finest quality. Where to look?
What a joy to find a local source of artisanal quality that would not pump its profits out to faceless shareholders in other states! (J’accuse, Safeway).
I, for one, will kick a few bucks their way to keep them here, and to keep our neighbourhood unique and different from all others! I’m glad they asked, instead of going out of business….smart!
Oh and one more thing….where else can you buy emergency chicken schmaltz for matzoh ball soup? I rendered an organic chicken a few months ago for the schmaltz and there was hardly any fat b/c the organic chickens are fed so well. Yeah, I know, first world problems….
I don’t understand what all the hate is about by GGShark and Lost Tribe, but Avedano’s is a local business, owned and run by local people, and is all about sustainable food. They’re whole hog approach is about ensuring nothing goes to waste. It’s fine if you’re militant vegetarians, or just haters in general…just don’t shop there. There’s no need to be trolls about it. For those of us who eat meat, supporting a local business with a concentration on sustainable and responsible farming is MUCH preferable to supporting someplace like Safeway. I hope they make it.