www.facebook.com/braisedincrozet

Thank you for taking a quick minute to read this story.  Brianna and Austin Robbins have lived in Virginia all their lives.  They met 5 years ago in the restaurant industry and have carried on a relationship in the industries ups and downs ever since.  Austin, a culinary grad, has run the ranks in the kitchen from Keswick, to helping two start-up restaruants in Charlottesville, all the way to D.C. to work at one of the top 5 restaurants on the east coast.  Brianna, having all her skills in customer service, is the perfect fit to the mad scientist in the kitchen.  Together, Brianna and Austin have found a serious passion for what they do.

With this passion, they started their own business a year ago, and found a HUGE following to the tasty goodness they put out.  The business model was working beautifully, and just needed a little more time.  Starting the business wasn't the hard part, though, as they soon found out... Any attempts to sign a contract, or any attempts at solidifying a deal to guarantee a future of success for both parties, was turned down with false promises and stone-wall tactics.  Meeting after meeting, lie after lie.

Just a week ago, Braised rocked out a 350+ person event for the UAS Conference on a Monday and woke up to text messages on Tuesday saying Braised services were no longer needed, and to remove our inventory in a window of 5 hours.  What were they to do?  Braised got played, really.  The lawyer did his best, which allowed them more time to leave (the rest of the day) but they had no rights at that time.  The Braised team and all the families scrambled to get the inventory off the property and to a safe location.  The Robbins had to spend money just to keep the inventory frozen and refrigerated as everything was stripped from them....just like that.  Blink and gone.

So here they are trying to figure it all out, getting denied from all banks or business backers, as Braised didn't have the length of time in business nor the credit worthiness to withstand a large loan on a promise.   After exhausting all of the very limited resources in such a short time, they realized they had been bullied into a dark corner of financial stress and failure.   This is a cruel world and most bad things happen to those that don't deserve it.   But, really, they didn't deserve this unprofessional disgust, lack of respect, and udder immaturity.  These "bullies"  are a group of individuals who have an "M.O.", prying the young and naive who have the drive and passion to be blinded by hope and trust.  They have played this game before, and sadly will do it again, never losing a bit of sleep in VA or NY. They are Monsters.  Corporate bullies from the North.  

Even after all this had been done to Braised so far, it wasn't over.  In the attempts at figuring out what the hell was going on, and no real answers as to WHY this was happening, they had been told that the Braised team had a no-trespass order against them and would be arrested on site...even though the business was registered to the same property address  and they were never served this order.  Let's not even get into what rights were violated under the verbal agreement but lets do go into how the owner treated the members of the Braised team and the members of their families.  As if calling the Police department each and every time  Braised attempted to pack the items they were demanded to do in the first place wasn't enough, the owner attempted to intimidate, and used scare tactics by using the police as a pawn in his game.  Multiple times, Braised, and even its parents who were only there to try and support, had to deal with 6 or more police personnel watching over every move and the owner taunting with some sort of sick satisfaction of our demise that day.  

This is not community, this is a lack of love and caring...not Crozet, Va.  This is not JUST about Braised or JUST THIS story.  This is about a cause for all small entrepreneurs/business owners that put EVERYTHING on the line and with their entire savings/lifes work to lose.  This is a cause for community, supporting each other, and keeping the word Local, true to its meaning.  This is not a story about a failure, but rather this is a story of a bully, a thief, a liar, and a deceitful manipulation on the weak and the desperate.  Let's let the real truth be told and the shameful actions be out for all to hear.  

Putting their dreams on hold, but, feeling optimistic and hopeful for some justice in all this, Brianna and Austin will go back to the corporate world.  

Dreams shattered by an egotistical, narcissistic bully,  who never has had to put it all on the line and ACTUALLY sweat, or bleed, or even cry to make it to the next day before.   This is the real W all of Shame .

Braised is reaching out to anyone that may want to help a small business start-up, especially to  an already  branding.  If we meet our goal, we would be using the funds to buy a mobile trailer that would allow us to continue bringing good eats to the community and surrounding cities.  

Even if you don't donate, give it a SHARE to help get our story out there. 

Thank you again for reading.  If you would like any more information or contact us regarding this, please message us on our facebook page! 

Brianna and Austin Robbins
Food.  Happiness.  Love.

Some amazing Pork Belly

They love us! We Love you!



The infamous Falafel Duo! an amazing treat for those looking to eat on the healthier side.