braunda smith

Wife, mom of six, business woman & chef out here just trying to keep her cheese on her cracker.

[braunda smith @braundasmith]

@magicianofmater 888

[braunda smith @braundasmith]

Can we open a real truth conversation about what's happening with small business post covid? The hospitality industry is suffering! No taxes on tips...promises made? Or would everyone continue to bury their heads in the sand that we have lost 60% of mom and pop businesses due to govt debt service that they could never afford, take the EIDL loan and you will be fine. No business can debt service a 30 year loan. My families land from 1800's is on hock for a 30 year loan. I'm not the only one!
We have to do better. The backbone of America are the people that once believed in the American Dream! LET'S HAVE AN HONEST CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS!
@realDonaldTrump @DonaldJTrumpJr @elonmusk @kellyloeffler @JDVance

[braunda smith @braundasmith]

@jk_rowling I LOVE THIS! You are one heck of an inspiration! Keep fighting 💪

[braunda smith @braundasmith]

@stoolpresidente Hey @stoolpresidente! It would be really cool if y'all ventured down the road from downtown San Antonio while y'all are in town for #MarchMadness2025
Come over and see us at Lucy Cooper's and get a taste of outside the Riverwalk and all of the tourist traps

[braunda smith @braundasmith]

@barstoolsports Hey @barstoolsports! It would be really cool if y'all ventured down the road from downtown San Antonio while y'all are in town for #MarchMadness2025
Come over and see us at Lucy Cooper's and get a taste of outside the Riverwalk and all of the tourist traps

[braunda smith @braundasmith]

@BarstoolBigCat Hey @BarstoolBigCat! It would be really cool if y'all ventured down the road from downtown San Antonio while y'all are in town for #MarchMadness2025
Come over and see us at Lucy Cooper's and get a taste of outside the Riverwalk and all of the tourist traps!

[braunda smith @braundasmith]

On this zoom call after the city representative said it wasn't their intent to hinder operations and issue these fines, I spoke up and called him a liar. At this point, I think I had racked up 4 visits from them and several citations. Mind you, these were not written to the business but to me personally. I refused to pay the fines so it was tied up in court for two years until my atty was finally able to get it dismissed.
We were plastered on the news as rule breakers and it hurt my business. Even though not once did this mickey mouse group break out a tape measure to measure for 6ft distance. All just about control. Next step is to expand to 75% occupancy. At this point, that is just ridiculous because nothing changes with that because of the 6ft rule and the square footage. You can only put so many tables and chairs 6ft apart. Same Covid policy, different day.
One of these officers came in and got in one of my customers faces with no regard for social distance and that interaction almost became physical. These are a group of outstanding people with a power grab and that sure proved my theory.
I register a complaint and am ignored, but I expected that.
This is where I will end this part of the conversation and fast forward to today.
Today we sit with a gross amount of small businesses shuddered and many more on the verge of closure. The crux of the conversation will always return to Covid and the trickle down over the past years. From staffing, infrastructure, supply chain, inflation, increased commercial rents and soaring insurance along with massive debts incured by many small businesses just to survive we are all struggling.
I pray everyday that there is something coming that will give us all some breathing room. All of us, not just small business but the families that are going through this all well. Thanks for listen to me ramble. I just really needed to release this. I had one good year in business and then the world went to shit and I've been fighting for the last five years. I'm tired.
Mentally, Spiritually and Physically exhausted
-Braunda

[braunda smith @braundasmith]

Today is the 5th anniversary of the day my whole world changed. Today is the day my small business was forced to close due to the stroke of a pen by my local Mayor. We entered this with hope for a quick two weeks to curb the spread. My husband and I knew the right thing to do by our employees would be to take our entire food inventory and distribute it evenly to all of our staff. So with all of our front of house and back of house employees, we created a spilt production line and broke down into care bags for everyone our inventory. My guess would be about 5k worth of food so that they had the ability to feed their families. Jesse and I went and bought diapers and formula for those that needed it. The amount of time we spend with our staff, they become family and it is truly how we see them. You take care of family.
Then came the days of uncertainty. Two weeks passed and there began the first of many extensions of when or if we could ever reopen our small businesses. Fear is kicking in at this point because the first of the month has now come up and our Landlord wants her rent. CPS and SAWS wants to be paid. Comptroller taxes are due. The wolves are still at the door and don't care that we weren't deemed essential and able to operate and generate income.
If you follow me or are my friend, you know what comes next. I felt called to fight for us. I put myself out there publicly and said the hard truths about this injustice to the print media, the television stations and social media. I knew this would cost me. I didn't know what but I knew that rocking the boat of politics would cost me. So for months, I wrote letters, made calls, created connections that would give our industry an opportunity to reopen. During this time, I watched friends and respected colleagues shudder their business. I saw people throughout Texas fighting back just for the opportunity to operate. It gave me strength to continue to fight here locally.
We eventually were heard and months later after zero revenue for months we were given the opportunity to open at 25% capacity with so many restrictions that it didn't make financial sense to be upside down in operations. There was no way this was viable. We were already in the hole months of lost revenue and doing our absolute best to take care of our staff during this time, it just made zero sense.
So we keep fighting. Restaurant operators were given some different grace during this time as well, but bars...well, this was a complete different story all together. Our local politicians were extremely harsh on our business and my opinion they would have shuddered as many of us as possible with zero chance of reopen. We fought and ended up with compromise of purchasing a Food/Beverage permit designation. Again, we would have to pay for, apply, and be approved to sell 50% food in order to receive this designation.
Rules on rules that made zero sense. If an alcoholic Beverage was sold an item of food must be sold. Wait, wasn't this about a virus...how does telling me how to operate my business by regulation of food/alcohol sales have anything to do with the spread of a virus? MAKE IT MAKE SENSE!
Now, we all jump through that hoop and then and only then can we open our business at are you ready for it...50%
So, we open. But wait, there's more. There would be a city approved and appointed group of Covid Enforcement. These were VICE Police agents and misplaced city employees including parking meter enforcers. These people were not health officials and regulating owners and operators to these made up rules that seemed to changed moment to moment and day to day. 6 ft apart, you must ride together to sit together, two people can sit together at the bar top, absolute nonsense. This group was in my business repeatedly issuing me $1000 fines and class c misdemeanor offenses per occourance. So, I fought back. We organized a call with the city only after the businesses of our beloved River Walk were hit.

[braunda smith @braundasmith]

@elonmusk would you consider having my small business cater lunches or any other opportunities to feed your staff at any of your Texas located companies? An opportunity like that has the potential to save our business since foot traffic is down in the hospitality industry 30-50%

[braunda smith @braundasmith]

@elonmusk San Antonio is FULL of corruption and receiving Federal money not used for its intended purpose. Almost every single road is under construction to continue to stay in the pool of funds all while making it impossible for small businesses to operate. We have lost generational small businesses to this madness.
$18 million dollars paid out to the backbone of San Antonio small business owners would have helped so many small business owners like myself. Covid killed the hospitality industry in this city. Our mayor kept our doors shuddered for entirely too long and fought against anyone who fought back!

[braunda smith @braundasmith]

@ILYCOOLCAT 🐈

[braunda smith @braundasmith]

@Grinbergg45 06/09/1975

[braunda smith @braundasmith]

@MatrixPrime_ Happy Birthday!

[braunda smith @braundasmith]

Small business in America is suffering, struggling and shuttering due to several factors. We as small business owners have been forgotten and overlooked. I would love to see this Dream Team administration gather some of us to discuss a path forward to save small businesses like mine and so many others across our great country!

[braunda smith @braundasmith]

Do you remember when you joined X? I do! #MyXAnniversary

[braunda smith @braundasmith]

@MatrixPrime_ Yes!!! That would be amazing 👏

[braunda smith @braundasmith]

@QPsyOps This is my brown recluse bite experience! 10 otta 10 do not recommend!

[braunda smith @braundasmith]

@Numerologynow I had my reading and became a student in February of last year with Garry! Life changing to say the least! I would love for my husband to have this same opportunity to have a reading from the great to help get him on the path!