SAFFRON RESTAURANT

WE OPENED OUR DREAM RESTAURANT… AND WERE FORCED TO CLOSE OVERNIGHT THROUGH NO FAULT OF OUR OWN.

Opened on March 18th, 2026, Saffron Restaurant is a mid-priced restaurant proudly serving Mediterranean food to our fellow Brattleboro community members. We, the owners, are immigrants drawn to Brattleboro’s small, caring community in a beautiful, hilly area. It reminds us of our home country.

We scrimped and saved to open Saffron. We borrowed money from our friends. We poured all of our money, time, and energy — everything we had — into bringing the flavors of our Afghan homeland to Brattleboro. We spent hundreds of hours cleaning up the old restaurant space to create a warm and welcoming dining room. We opened to rave reviews. We hired local Brattleboro residents and started meeting members of this community. We were quickly becoming a part of this town. And then — literally overnight — the electricity was shut off and we had to close our doors. We had no idea this was going to happen. We served meals over the weekend and on Tuesday morning we were forced to close.

What happened:

On April 7, 2026 (only 20 days after we opened) the power company shut off electricity to the entire property. Several days later, our water was turned off as well. We learned that our landlord had an unresolved debt with both utilities — a dispute entirely between them, with no involvement from us. The property also includes the Colonial Motel and, for safety reasons, the Brattleboro Fire Department revoked the occupancy permit, forcing the many people who lived there to immediately leave.

The impact on us:

Without water and electricity, we cannot run our business. We leased this site because it suited our vision and we would like to stay in our location. Every day we are closed is a day we cannot generate the revenue we need to pay our rent, insurance, and inventory already purchased. We also cannot continue to earn a living or pay our employees.

We know it is possible that we will have to move our restaurant — but this would cost a lot of money that we do not have. We are determined to reopen and are actively working toward finding a way, either by staying in our present location or moving. But we need a bridge to get there. We are raising $125,000 to survive this crisis and reopen Saffron for Brattleboro.

Where your donation goes:

Every dollar raised will go directly toward:

• Covering reopening costs — restocking, operational expenses, and getting back on our feet ($50,000)

• Supporting our employees who lost shifts and income through no fault of their own ($12,000)

• Attorney’s fees to help us navigate this situation legally ($10,000)

• Remaining operational and financial recovery costs ($53,000)

A note to potential investors:

If you are interested in supporting Saffron in a larger way, we are open to conversations with investors who believe in what we are building here. Please reach out to us directly.

Brattleboro has shown us kindness since the day we arrived. If you have ever sat at one of our tables, shared a meal with us, or simply believe that small businesses deserve a fighting chance — please consider supporting us today.

We came to Brattleboro as strangers. You made us feel like neighbors. Please help us stay.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

— The Saffron Restaurant Family, Brattleboro, Vermont