Chicago’s Bow Truss Looks to Patrons to Invest in New Retail Spot

Chicago’s Bow Truss Coffee Roasters is taking crowd funding to new levels.

Since opening a micro roastery coffee bar in Chicago’s Lakewood neighborhood earlier this year, the company has already landed a BMX sponsorship and held a custom design contest, and it’s now looking for investors for a second Chicago location, in a prime downtown spot just across from the Merchandise Mart.

Bow Truss is hoping to raise $50,000 for the new digs through a funding platform for small, community-minded businesses called LendSquare. The program encourages lending from multiple sources, and, ideally, lenders are paid back (with interest) within 24 months. Lenders to the project also get Kickstarter-like perks up front ($1,000, for example, gets you a pound of Bow Truss coffee, a Bow Truss mug and a Hario pour-over kit, while $10,000 gets you all that plus free drinks in-store and a custom blend named after you).

Here’s more from Bow Truss’ LendSquare campaign:

Lakeview-based Bow Truss Coffee Roasters has earned the respect of the community as well as the coffee industry in the mere six months we’ve been open. Our wholesale accounts include Doughnut Vault, Gilt Bar, Bavette’s, Maude’s Liquor Bar, Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago, Chicago Bagel Authority (CBA), and others, while local press has said Bow Truss “raises the bar,” is “heaven… for coffee purists” and we “quell even the most discerning of coffee drinkers.”

So now we’re opening up a second location across from the Merch Mart, right outside the CTA! And we’re looking to you to help invest in this high traffic, low overhead space as we branch out and expand across Chicago with our coffee, culture and community.

We’re looking for folks that believe in our company and want to be a part of it. We’re looking for those who believe in the art of roasting and brewing amazing coffee—the ones who really enjoy each warming sip. And since opening, we’ve had the pleasure of meeting some incredibly enthusiastic and loyal Bow Truss fans, eager to learn about our process and origin roasts, as well as follow us adamantly on our social media channels. So we thought, what better way to help our fans feel a closer kinship to our roasting company than to help us grow? This, of course, also gave us an opportunity to offer exclusive perks!