Stewarding 200 North Main Street in Buda over the past five years has been the honor of a lifetime. We are at a critical point and need your support : the details are all below. We feel the bigger picture and the inside scoop is essential to share with you!
Through Zoi Market and Meridian, we’ve been able to create spaces that embody Zoi, the Greek word for “life”, while offering wellness, music, and community for the body, mind, and soul.
This winter, Zoi Market celebrates its 5th anniversary, and Meridian has just turned 3. Our vision is to continue building here for decades to come-creating a generational gathering place for Buda and beyond. We are currently stewarding 40 + employee careers and collaborating with 3 exciting businesses, such as Teal House Bakery & Upcycled Atelier, that serve the community and will be opening in the cottages behind. We collaborate with dozens more as an event space and vendor market frequently. We went from 4 employees to 42 in just 2 years from 2021-2023 and, wow! What a change and amazing challenge that has been!
This journey, however, has not been without extreme financial challenge. The opportunity to create these spaces came suddenly, and from the start it was a combined effort with help of family, friends, the City of Buda, and the EDC. We could not have done this alone.
It has taken everything we could give to reach this point. Selling a house, refinancing a truck, putting credit to the limit, personal loans, inheritance, etc. We are all in.
Today, both businesses are approaching a point of sustainability—but the weight of those startup costs still remain. Every 6 months or so we open up to the community about the race to sustainability as a company and it has been in order to avoid scary bridge loans with high interest and large daily payments. It would be untenable to take anything in that direction again and paying off $60-$114K as soon as possible would set the businesses free to operate with health, wisdom and vision. It will allow freedom to collaborate with local makers and artists more readily as well.
These high interest bridge loans are the only thing in the way of our full sustainability and healthy operational flow : staffing, payrolls, cost of goods sold, event production, community outreach and service goals.
We have the management and team that dreams are made of, after years of prayer and fighting for these people to join us. Kyle Duce, a Restraunteur and brilliant beverage director / mixologist has recently revolutionized the bar program but also the level of genuine teamwork and customer service that we have been so hopeful for.
Laura Miller, comes to us from Central Market as an incredible leader and Market Curator. Her gift for foundational stability and merchandising with the customer at the forefront of her mind has made Zoi Market so incredible. We are elated to see what she has in store for the holiday season!
Mercedes Duce has joined the clinic and spa, with 18 years of esthetician experience. As the previous spa director of SOHO house in Chicago, she is also revolutionizing the programs and services at Zoi Well this year.
Now, we’re asking our community to join us in taking the next step forward. Your support, whether big or small, helps carry this vision into the future. It helps us to sustain these key positions within the ecosystem of Zoi and allows us to, quite literally, keep the doors open and the beauty flowing.
WAYS TO PARTICIPATE
- Join the Zoi Well Membership: This includes a monthly treatment - massage, acupuncture or botanical facial, one free sauna session each month plus discounts at Zoi Market, Zoi Clinic retail (supplements + Zoi Medicinals) and Meridian - 10% off at every visit. Sign up at www.lovezoi.com.
- Contribute to this Campaign:
- $100 Pledge: Two tickets to any Meridian show and 10% off the tab. Each pledge enters you into a drawing for a year of free coffee.
- We encourage donations to help us continue building spaces for music, community, and wellness. Donations are not required and will not affect your chances of winning.
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Free Entry: Stop by Zoi Market (200 N. Main St., Buda, TX) during business hours and fill out a sweepstakes entry form at the counter.
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Option 2 – By Mail: Hand-print your full name, phone number, and email address on a 3x5 card and mail to:
Zoi Market Sweepstakes, 200 N. Main St., Buda, TX 78610.
- $100 Pledge: Two tickets to any Meridian show and 10% off the tab. Each pledge enters you into a drawing for a year of free coffee.
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- $500 Pledge: Two tickets to six shows plus 10% off tab.
- Meridian Founder’s Club: $1,000 pledge includes two tickets to as many shows as you’d like, plus 20% off your tab, for a full year.
YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS WILL DIRECTLY SUPPORT:
- Clearing all high interest debt accrued to open & operate as a new business which will ensure operating sustainability
- Expanding offerings at both Zoi Market and Meridian
- Enhancing the customer experience
- Bringing food options to the bar program
- Bringing more live music and artists to Buda
Together, we can continue to grow these spaces into something that lasts for generations.
