Patricia Prosen is a single mother of two, a cancer survivor and owner of Que Rico Mexican Restaurant in Lakeview, but this holiday season she is getting help from an internet-powered restaurant fund led by Barstool Sports.
“Que Rico is not just a restaurant. That Rico is my home, ”said Prosen in a video. “I’m sorry, I’m going to be so excited, but this is my home. My employees are not just employees – my employees are my family. “
Prosen shared his struggles as a small business owner during a pandemic in a two-minute video posted online. In the video, she introduced her longtime team, including her daughter Isabella.
“If this restaurant were taken from me, I don’t know what I would do with my life,” said Isbaella Tapia, who is the restaurant’s waitress.
The video was part of a presentation to The Barstool Fund. Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports launched the campaign to help small business owners across the country impacted by COVID-19. He raised more than $ 6 million dollars on Friday night.
“I just wrote an email and said hey, here’s my friend, that’s all she went through, she never got a helping hand or a dime from anyone,” said Courtney Connolly, who is a longtime friend and customer.
Connolly received a response from Barstool Sports about his email and video delivery. Then, on Christmas Eve, Prosen got a call from FaceTime while driving.
“I was driving to the restaurant to leave Christmas gifts for employees and their bonus and I get a random call,” said Prosen. “I replied and saw his face and thought, Dave, like I knew him, like ‘hi Dave!’ It was so exciting! “
She had to stop and play with Portnoy that she didn’t want to crash the car.
“He said briefly that he was touched by my story and that thank God for Barstool Funds I can get help,” said Prosen.
Prosen said that Portnoy did his Christmas giving her $ 15,000. The money will help her cover six employees’ salaries and other expenses.
“I have these great employees,” she said. “It will break my heart. They’ve 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 very grateful for his team, longtime customers and for this Christmas gift for keeping his restaurant open.
“I’m blessed. It changed my life now,” she said. “Because it’s scary. I don’t know if I could survive another five months by being closed, to tell you the truth, I won’t.
Prosen is encouraging people in the community to support small businesses and place orders directly at the restaurant.
“At the moment, being closed and having only deliveries and withdrawals not to mention names, but most third-party delivery companies are not really helping small restaurants,” she said. “The percentage they retain from the sale is absurd.”