CAMERON PARK, Ca. (Carie Toeller, Fondue 152) — To our esteemed guests, family, friends and staff,
After many tears and some deep soul searching I have realized that no business, even the business of my dreams, is worth destroying my health, my sanity and the joy with which life should be lived. So it is with much sadness that I have decided to close the restaurant.
The realities that resulted in my decision are detailed below. Please know that in addition to the normal challenges of owning a small business, our local small businesses are still very much struggling with residuals of the pandemic and other factors which are not in our control.
Here are some of the challenges single location businesses like mine are still battling:
Severe staffing shortages, wage wars, and record staff call-outs and no-shows.
Supply chain shortages, outages, and delivery mistakes and delays.
Faulty new equipment and less then skilled service technicians due to staffing shortages.
Ever increasing costs of what should be “wholesale” goods, equipment and supplies.
Guest illness and unpredictability causing unprecedented last minute guest cancellations and no-shows, making revenue and staffing projections darn near impossible.
Power outages, terrible air quality and excessive heat in Summer causing temporary closures and reduced patronage.
Highway and street flooding along with facility leaks and other issues in Winter causing temporary closures and reduced patronage.
And lets not forget the impending recession.
By all accounts, given the circumstances Fondue 152 was doing very well. I am forever grateful for the wonderful reviews we received, to those of you who ventured in to try something new, and to our regular guests who made it so much fun to be there. But the stress of trying to provide delicious food, excellent service, and an exceptional dining experience in spite of those challenges was very nearly killing me.
It has truly been my honor to work with my staff and vendors, to serve our guests and the local community, and to be a part of something that in some small way enriched peoples lives.
My sincerest thanks to all of you for your support, Carie.
Carie Toeller
Former Owner and Chief Fondue Officer
Address: 3275 Coach Ln B, Cameron Park, CA 95682
Web: fondue152.com
