Patricia Prosen is a single mother of two, a cancer survivor, and owner of the Mexican restaurant Que Rico in Lakeview, but this holiday season she is being helped by an Internet-powered restaurant fund run by Barstool Sports.
“Rico is not just a restaurant. That Rico is my home, ”Prosen said in a video. “I’m sorry to be so excited, but this is my home. My employees are not just employees, my employees are my family. “
Prosen shared her struggles as a small business owner during a pandemic in a two-minute video posted online. In the video he introduced his longtime staff, including his daughter Isabella.
“If they took me to this restaurant, I don’t know what I would do with my life,” said Isbaella Tapia, who is a waitress at the restaurant.
The video was part of a presentation at The Barstool Fund. Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports launched the campaign to help small business owners across the country affected by COVID-19. It has raised more than $ 6 million as of Friday night.
“I just wrote an email and I said hey, my friend, it’s all that’s ever happened, that you haven’t received a dime from anyone,” said Courtney Connolly, who is a friend and regular customer.
Connolly heard Barstool Sports about her email and video presentation. Then on Christmas night Prosen received a Facetime call while driving.
“I was driving to the restaurant to leave Christmas presents to the staff and their bonus and they get me a random call,” Prosen said. “I answered and I see his face and I’m like, Dave, like I know him, like ‘hello Dave!’ It was so exciting! ”
He had to stop and joked with Portnoy that he didn’t want the car to crash.
“He just said briefly that I was excited about my story and thank God at Barstool Funds, I can get help,” Prosen said.
Prosen said Portnoy made him Christmas by giving him $ 15,000. The money will help him cover the salaries of six employees and other expenses.
“I have these great employees,” he said. “It simply came to my notice then. They have been with me since I opened. I have a cook who has been with me for 26 years, another cook for 15 years. “
Prosen is grateful to its staff, regular customers and this Christmas present for keeping their restaurant open.
“I’m blessed. It changed my life right now,” he said. “Because it’s scary. I don’t know if I could survive five more months of being locked up to tell you the truth, I won’t.”
Prosen urges people in the community to support small businesses and place orders directly at the restaurant.
“Right now, with being closed and only having deliveries and pickups not to mention names, but most third-party delivery companies don’t really help small restaurants at all,” he said. “The percentage they keep from selling is absurd.”