The setting…
Early 2020… Silicon Valley is an expensive place to do business, and Red Rock has already felt the pinch of that challenge. Owned by a church, and being supported more and more by those good folks, leadership realizes sustaining Red Rock will be beyond the church’s capabilities. Work begins to explore spinning off Red Rock as it’s own non-profit. It’s a daunting challenge.
The Plot Thickens…
Enter The Coronavirus / COVID 19 / The Pandemic. In early March 2020, Red Rock Coffee begins its rollercoaster ride through Shelter-in-place and all that means to businesses. We want to stay safe, we want to protect customers, we want to stay open.
We slash hours, but we do not close. Not one day. We remain a beacon for the caffeine- culture- community-loving customers that have called us Their Place since 2005.
Money becomes incredibly tight.
Heroes rise…
Some staff decide to opt in and remain serving customers, and some decide to opt out, giving their hours to the rest of the staff.
Customers begin following oft-changing health department protocols and continue to frequent Red Rock as their health and positions allow.
Vendors give flexible terms. Our landlord makes it clear he is in it with us, deferring rent.
Downtown business neighbors offer barters and trades and loans to help those who need supplies to stay open.
The City starts looking for ways to help businesses cope.
A GoFundMe is started by a mom of a barista, a longtime regular and supporter of Red Rock. The grim story is laid out for the public, and the public responds. Almost $100,000 is raised by late summer, but it is not enough.
An anonymous friend of Red Rock inquires about giving longer term support, a couple month’s worth. Who knew how long this shut down would last? It quickly becomes clear that a rescue is in order, and in November, 2020, the purchase of Red Rock Coffee from the church is finalized.
The buyer sets some conditions… all GoFundMe funds will be returned to the donors… the church gets paid… staff will remain on board… both first and second floors will continue to be rented, to allow for the community to continue to keep its “third place,” where people connect through music and knitting and motorcycles and Open Mic and art and Story Hour and of course, coffee… in short, nothing should change.
Thank you to all our heroes in this ongoing story.
Please take some time to read the GoFundMe post below, along with all the comments of the donors.
Red Rock’s GoFundMe 2020:
We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and generosity for Red Rock! Thank you to every single one of you who have donated, who have written comments and encouragements, and who have shared the financial difficulties Red Rock Coffee was going through in this time of the pandemic with others.
We have some great news to share: WE DID IT!!
Due to everyone’s efforts of giving and sharing, the GoFundMe campaign caught the eye of an investor who has decided to buy Red Rock, and allow it to be run just as it always has been. Red Rock will continue as the same cafe you know and love, and will continue to be a gathering place for the community in downtown Mountain View.
As a part of the purchase agreement, the investor and Red Rock have agreed that all monies raised through GoFundMe should be refunded to the donors.
If you contributed to the campaign and have any questions about your refund, please contact gofundme@redrockcoffee.org.
Thank you again for your love and support for Red Rock, and for being a part of writing an amazing story!
GoFundMe Comments 2020:
For the home away from home this place has been to me!
Red Rock and its wonderful employees are a treasure ❤️
In Honor of Katie Congdon
<3 Red Rock
I wrote my PhD thesis sitting at Red Rock...
Absolutely love this place! Thanks for everything you do!
Good luck!
So sad - loved the place. I really hope you can survive.
for the old man Nor man
We love Red Rock - and hope it remains part of the community for years to come!
Red Rock open mic night forever!
I've written many of essays here and jammed to many of jams as well. Here's to keeping this cafe alive :)
Love love love board game night and open mic. It’s so nice to see community in support of one another. Thanks and I hope you reach your goal!
Thanks for being a wonderful sanctuary for us all! Best people & best coffee in town.
For a few coffees :)
Thank you for supporting local artists!
Thank you for being home to me, my books and my journals! <3
Viva la community!!
Save this place!
This is a community resource and we want to see it pull through
Go Mama Jean, go!
We enjoy the hospitality and atmosphere!
Mountain View wouldn't be the same without y'all!
Thank you for being the hub of our community!
We are in this together!
So many of my best memories here!
Best Open Mic I've ever been to
Red Rock graciously allowed hosting tech interview meetup on Saturday mornings.
Best coffee!
Wishing the best for raising the needed money
Red Rock is one of my favorite things about Mountain View!
Hope to keep you alive
We love you, Red Rock!
I've enjoyed a hot cuppa or two from RR!
I performed at the mic once, great crowd and MC. Would love to keep Red Rock and the open mic.
Best coffee shop ever; wish I could do more -
keep game night going!
I've enjoyed having a cup of coffee and participating in Transition Palo Alto's informal Friday night "Conversation Cafe's" held at Red Rock's second floor. We need to keep this important "third space" available in our community.
The MV community needs you!
Thank you for everything you do!
My wife and I really enjoy the coffee, and the seats on the second floor.
Can’t imagine having grown up in Mountain View without Red Rock
Red Rock is the place I miss the most after having moved away from the Bay. I haven't been to another place quite like it, from the great coffee and amazing baristas to the warm community.
Thanks for being so important to the MV community, Red Rock!
Red Rock is my favorite place in Mountain View. Huge shoutout to Henri Boulanger for being the best barista as well! <3
I performed my first standup set there last year. Can’t wait to go again when this craziness ends.
The finest coffee in America
Almost every startup in Mountain View and many from the SouthBay have used this space
Thanks for all you've done and do, you are a bedrock of downtown MV.
Only shop I’m willing to work at!
Pillar of the community. So many community groups and companies were born here.
Thank you for your open mics 💖💕
Can't believe I'm having to do this. Go red rock!
Thank you Red Rock, please survive!
We met so many of our closest friends (and each other) at RR open mics and have so many fond memories rooted there. Thanks for that - and for being a wonderful space for creatives to gather.
For all the good times there
I love this place! Let's help them stay open.
i don't even drink coffee :) lots of meetings there though!
Sunday Moto Clubbers - we love RRC!!
Great place. Had many amazing conversations over coffee
I saw a literal multi billionaire grabbing a cup a joe at RR once. Hope he comes to the rescue!
Great venue
I have so many wonderful memories reading books on rainy weekends and studying for exams at the Castro shop. Thank you for making the Bay feel more like home and rooting for you always!!
"Asian George Clooney," Not.
In honor of Jake and Open Mic Mondays!
We love Red Rock Coffee! Help keep it alive!
I miss red rock!
The manager Jean is my sister, and although I'm clearly biased she has the biggest heart and kindest, gentlest soul of anyone I've ever known. Keep fighting Sis - hope this helps bridge the gap until God brings you your miracle. Love you! ❤
Look forward to my next visit
Hooray for Red Rock! Thank you for the gift of authenticity and community. And happy birthday Chrissy Mata! 💕
In memory of the two open mics I attended
Great cafe for me and my friends to stop by and hang out after bike rides!
For all the great coffee and story time!
Wonderful unique business, art hangout, great people,
For the wonderful people that make the open mic happen and perform.
Long live red rock, sanctuary of goodness
ya gotta help family, especially chosen
A memory which epitomizes this special place to me: two years ago I was home for the holidays, and a friend and I met up for coffee at Red Rock. Over the course of a few hours, we unintentionally ran into at least 5 other friends from high school and elsewhere who we had not seen in years. Nowhere else in MV could that have happened!
E - my fiancé who I met at Red Rock
Thanks for all the open mic nights!
Please stay!
SM
Love RR! Fabulous community and coffee! Hope you all make it through tough times and we continue to have you as a community resource.
Words cannot express.
Spent an wonderful afternoon here while waiting for my interview, thank you for the memory
Open Mic, Artist Spotlighted, Community space, GOOD COFFEE
I worked here for the previous owners around 2004 and prior to that played and attended many open mics. Hoping you reach your goal and can keep the space going!
Loved singing open mic there! Stay strong!!
I always loved the art on the walls and the atmosphere in general. Here's to hoping y'all make it through this.
Open mic, good coffee, help when I needed it
My husband and I had our first date at Red Rock <3
Just a visitor, but loved your place.
I had my first band performance here back in 2007/2008, I hope we can keep Red Rock alive.
The Moto Club's welcomed and connected new riders in our area. Let's keep this great community space going strong! Mountain View needs places like this.
delicious coffee, good luck folk
Downtown Institution that must stay
Lord bless you!
Stuck in Switzerland for years to come, but I'm thinking of you. Good luck, Serge.
Hang in there, Red Rock! You are community institution with a valuable mission and place in our town!
For more open mics :)
Spent 8 happy years on Castro Street! Team Meebo, The Quixey Crew, & Happy Hours @ Bushido (2008-2016)
Keep pouring that coffee!
This is a community staple. There are countless Google and other tech employees that use this space after hours - some times, not even buying drinks or food. If you are one of them or just someone who has been to open mic, board game night, or maybe even a date, please donate and reach out to your colleagues that may not know about this GoFundMe.
Thanks for letting us spend hours and providing the best coffee. We will keep helping in the future. Hope we can ride the storm and meet on the other side :)
Let’s save Red Rock coffee
Wonderful people, & the best hot chocolate ever <3
Our favorite place for weekend afternoon, too much memories... Stay strong!
Love Red Rock, such a nice space and people. It's sad to see that the local business is hit the hardest. Hope you make it, don't want to miss you!
This place is at least as much a Silicon Valley institution as Buck's! #StartupLife
Amazing baristas, amazing community builders! Thank you.
love you guys, hope it works out
Thanks for all the good times and hope you are able to do what works best for you.
We've always enjoyed the good coffee and warm smiles. We love that it's a unique place with a manager, Jean, who cares so much about her employees and the Red Rock community. We would love to see this place live on.
This space and the workers behind it mean so much to us.
Best coffee in Mountain View!
I love RRC !
Wish you the best.
Looking forward to coming back
In honor of all the first dates I went on here
God bless
Praying Red Rock will survive this pandemic! Love this place!!
Excellent coffee drinks!
Red Rock is a true highlight of Castro St and one of the few places that makes me feel like Mountain View actually has a community. I really hope it pulls through!
Keep going, we love you!
Love how much red rock has supported the community. Wish I have more budget to support red Rock!
In tribute to this great community resource, long may it flourish!
Throughout high school, Red Rock was always a place to stop by, do homework, met up with friends, go to open nights, etc. I've had so many friends that have worked there, and even more that have enjoyed it as a part of their community. It would be heartbreaking to see COVID destroy this wonderful ministry. Praying for the Lord's guidance and abundance for Red Rock and its leadership.
Love you guys, don't want you to close.
Don't let Castro St turn into chain coffee places. It's good to have Red Rock in our community.
Happy birthday, Chrissy! i love how you are supporting this place that has meant so much to you and your family and community!
We love the coffee at Red Rock
Amazing place with amazing culture. This would be a huge loss to downtown Mountain View.
Redrocks is an icon!
love redrock!
Thrive and grow Redrock! Thank you
I hope to catch up on my work and mocha here soon. Stay strong and survive!
Making a beautiful difference in the community and there’s much more work to be done, love you Red Rock and Mom ♥️
Let's save my second home
In tribute to the beauty found in community, caffeine and culture
We love you Red Rock!
Love this place
Thx for hosting community events, hs groups etc!
Wishing you all well in these trying times.
Have loved this space for the last 3 years! Hope others will get to enjoy it in the future!
Hope this warm place makes it!
We met almost everyone in our friend group at RR. ❤️
Such a great public meeting place. We need to keep such spaces open.
We have amazing memories here...
Thx for the brownies :)
This place has lots of stories. Maybe some of the best in Silicon Valley history.
Good luck!
It's a wonderful place!
Hours and hours of quality time spent upstairs. Love Red Rock!
A lot of magic happens at Red Rock. Keep the magic alive!
I’ve pitched and been pitched to at RRC. I hope you survive.
To the next open mic!
Red Rock is my favorite! I so miss it since moving. If you can figure out a way to dehydrate a mocha and send it to me I'd love a weekly delivery along with some baked goodies.
my favorite coffee shop. warm atmosphere, stellar employees, superb coffee, perfect nestled in downtown mountain view, what more could i ask for? love this place!
Red Rock: Helping to turn caffeine into creations.
Great memories from when Meebo was basically just upstairs! Great place, wonderful people! Thank you!!!
Red rock is such an inspiring and special café. I’ve known it to be an incredible community space, filled with kind and caring people. Wishing you all the best in these times.
Hope things work out and that RR is around for me to come back to for years
Love this place! May it stay alive and well for years to come. <3
Donating in honor of the countless artists who have performed at Open Mic over the 5 years I’ve had the privilege to host.
We love Red Rock open mic
I hired pretty much every one of my direct team members at Redrock. It’s my favorite coffee shop by far!
The better part of my teens and early twenties was spent at Red Rock. I've played their stage dozens of times. I fell in love with coffee at 2Bar. I became much of who I am at this place, and I love it dearly. Please consider supporting Red Rock, it means the world to many like me.
Love you guys so much!! I’ll be sure to come more frequently:)
Red Rock has been (and will continue to be!) integral to our sense of community in the Bay Area.
I can’t believe it’s been 15 years! I was there in the early days as we tried to figure out a logo, and colors, experiments with sandwiches, etc...then how to fit enough people in the first floor long before the second one was started! Chrissy I know you have spent many hours loving on people there. I donate to honor you and keep RR alive for more ministry to happen!
<3
We love Red Rock!
We love Red Rock and what it means to the community!
