Sisters Thai Cafe gets financial help from Barstool Fund

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) -Thousands of businesses around the country have struggled to stay open because of the pandemic. As a way to help, the media company Barstool Sports started a fund to raise money to help out businesses around the U.S. So far it’s raised nearly $30 million. One Rockford restaurant is on the receiving end.

Founder of Barstool Dave Portnoy gave the call to Megan Sengchannavong, whose family owns Sisters Thai Café, telling her the big news that funding was coming their way.

Megan sent her family’s story to the Barstool Fund explaining the restaurant’s path from opening at the former Clock Tower nearly 8 years ago, to reestablishing downtown, to having its most successful year in 2019, then it all came crashing during COVID. The restaurant never let any employees go and had hope they’d get through this. Now $15,000 with the potential for more is getting them back on their feet. Sengchannavong says this couldn’t have come at a better time.

“Just the thought of almost having to close or the thought of losing this place because of the unexpected events of what’s going on with the pandemic, we were really down and we were really looking, reaching for something,” said Sengchannavong. “Just every day taking it day by day and I feel like our prayers were really answered.”

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