Hart’s Soda Shop owner Kara Urquhart has launched a GoFundMe to save her business

“My dream has always been to own a storefront,” she wrote. “That dream evolved from a desire to create a space that was welcoming and inviting to customers of all ages. A place to turn off your mind and enjoy the simple pleasures in life.”

The brick and mortar location at 908 East 35th Street was expected to open in September, complete with a bigger menu and retro soda counter. The bus in which the company got its start would be a staple at the new space, parked out front and used for private events.

[Related: Hart’s Soda Shop is opening a permanent location in NoDa]

But over the past few months, Urquhart has watched as her budget tripled due to unforeseen circumstances and her dream “slipped away,” causing her to reach out to the community for help on GoFundMe.

In an Instagram post, she acknowledged that she never expected to go this route, but the cold weather and its impact on business has left her with no other choice.

“It pains me to ask for help as everyone has been so supportive of the business from the start,” she said on her ‘Save the Soda Bus’ fundraising page. “But without your help, I will lose the store front and the Soda Bus.”

Urquhart told me yesterday that speaking publicly about the issues she was facing was hard, but being the sole owner and working two other jobs (she’s a full-time nanny that moonlights as a bartender and server) in order to try to fund the storefront has left her no other choice.

“I started with an all-in budget of $18,000, with construction quotes at $13,000 and the remaining for equipment and finishings,” she said of her plan. “Getting the building that seemed [to be] the perfect fit to lease at the right price was a struggle, then we hit road bumps.”

The hiccups included plumbing issues, a bathroom remodel and a hot water heater that wasn’t up to code and the unexpected costs that came with them left her with one option: Start selling.

She sold her personal car, camera equipment leftover from college and anything else she had in an effort to fund the renovations.

“I’ve put my heart, soul and sweat into this shop and I’m at my limit,” she said.

“My option at this point is to sell the bus to pay the remainder of the construction bill and hope to get enough together to open the doors,” she said. At an additional $18,000, it’s a tall order.

Despite the difficulty that comes with speaking publicly about the financial struggles, the Charlotte native has “faith” in the community and refuses to give up without putting up a fight.

She launched the fundraiser yesterday, December 14, with a goal of $8,000.

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