Little Brazil Extends Crowdfunding Deadline as It Seeks Community Support

Nearly one year after opening its new location, Wheat Ridge restaurant Little Brazil is reaching out to the community for help. Owners Kallen Marques and Polly Furay originally launched the business in a small space in 2012 but by 2019, they knew they wanted to expand. While plans to move were put on hold during the pandemic, they signed a lease for a new space in 2022 and closed the original in 2023 in preparation for the transition. 

In March 2024, Little Brazil made a grand return in a new 3,000-square-foot spot at 7333 West 38th Avenue. Its relaunch included stylish aesthetic upgrades, an updated menu with a bar program, seasonal specials, and frequent events and live music showcases.

And yet, as successful as the past year has been, Marques says a string of pre-opening challenges have made it difficult to recoup losses. Permit delays, construction issues, and a fire set back the opening by a total of nine months. Without any investors or independent wealth, Marques made the decision to take out a Small Business Administration loan and a second mortgage on her home.

Last month, Little Brazil launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to ensure the longevity of the business. So far, it has raised just over $14,400 with a flexible goal of $100,000. It was originally set to end on March 3 but now, that deadline has been extended to March 19 as it continues to spread the word. "We are trying to get as close to our goal as possible because we still have a financial gap we need to bridge," the restaurant shared in an Instagram post.

The funds will be divided into three major efforts: one-third will be used as working capital to handle seasonal fluctuations; one-third will be allocated to marketing to increase monthly revenue by 15 percent; and the last third will be used to pay down debt.

Marques explains that on top of the setbacks, running an independent restaurant in the current economy is a tough task. Many longtime favorites have closed in recent years due to the increasing cost of doing business, including thirty-year-old Cafe Brazil in Berkely, which is not related to Little Brazil.

From the beginning, opening Little Brazil was a hard sell. "My family is Brazilian and when I opened a restaurant, I got a lot of reluctance from my family,"  Marques says. "Like, 'You're going to be a restaurant owner? You have a master's degree. What are you doing?'" But over the years, she was fueled by having something to prove, and Little Brazil flourished.
That's why being vulnerable about the business's recent setbacks was initially nerve-wracking. "I was worried that people are going to judge me," she says. "I was really torn about that because I thought I was going to make it by now, that I was going to be okay, you know?" She admits, “It's hard to put yourself out there. When you're the owner, you have a little pride. You're so afraid.” But she says the fear of permanent closure supersedes any momentary embarrassment about asking for help, because the joy she gets from bringing Brazilian food to locals is invaluable.

The landscape of the restaurant industry has evolved in the ten-plus years that Marques has run Little Brazil, but she says that she has seen a rapid shift over the past three years. “I think everything's a little bit more expensive now," she notes. Some items, like the steak used in her popular House Picanha, have increased in food cost by 22 percent. Marques says shipping costs have nearly doubled in the last couple of years and for a restaurant that prides itself on making the majority of dishes in-house and sourcing the proper peppers, spices, yucca flour and various market items from Brazil, those costs can be overwhelming.

Marques’ wife, Vanessa Otero is the owner of Ad Fontes Media, a company that helps rate news outlets and recognize media bias. Otero has extensive experience crowdfunding for her own projects and it was her expertise and consistent encouragement that led Marques to set aside her pride and ask for community support. “I told her, 'Shame is expensive,'” Otero explains. “The reason we put this out to our community is because people often just don't know how hard it is to really make it as a restaurant. And unless you have some kind of help, it’s really hard to get into a profitable long-term sustainable place.”
Donations to the campaign come with various tiers of perks, ranging from tote bags, mugs and t-shirts to silver, gold, platinum and premier Little Brasileiro memberships, which provide percentage discounts to guests for as little as one year and up to ten years, depending on the size of the donation.

Every little bit helps, and if people are not in a position to donate, they are encouraged to stop by for a meal, share the campaign link with friends and family or on social media, or reach out to Little Brazil next time they are looking to host a catered event, birthday gathering or special night out.

Marques and her team are implementing new ways to engage the community, too. “We have our weekly specials. Tuesday is free cheesy bread, so you come here and you dine with us, you get free cheesy bread. Every Wednesday, is buy one Caipirinha house cocktail, get one free. And on Thursdays, we do buy one Feijoada [black bean stew with smoked sausage, pork tenderloin, cured beef, and bacon], which is my biggest selling dish, get the second one half off.”

In addition to continuing to participate in community celebrations, Little Brazil is currently participating in Denver Restaurant Week, which runs through March 16. It's offering a three-course meal for $35.

Ultimately, Marques is learning that success does not have to be a solo effort and setbacks do not have to define a legacy. “I'm in the business of faith. You have to have faith that people will come in that door and eat here and choose you," she concludes.

Little Brazil is located at 7333 West 38th Avenue and is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, 11 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit littlebrazilco.com.