Breakers Breakfast, Lunch & Brunch
“Working with the SBDC, particularly Vivian, Paul and Benjamin, not only gave my dad and me the help we needed but also gave us the hope and the confidence to overcome these gigantic hurdles we were facing. Knowing that they believed in us and our amazing team at Breakers made all the difference.” ––– Robby Bancroft, Co-owner, Breakers Breakfast, Brunch & Lunch.
Photo by Scott Buschman
The Bancrofts came to the SBDC seeking support for their daytime restaurant in Pacifica and received assistance above and beyond its initial needs.
Company Profile
Breakers Breakfast, Brunch & Lunch is part of a dream come true for Steve and Robby Bancroft, the father and son team who own an award-winning daytime restaurant in their hometown of Pacifica, CA. In the iconic Rockaway Beach portion of town, Breakers opened its doors in the Spring of 2014. Steve has nearly 30 years of experience working in the restaurant industry, often working seven days a week early on in his career while raising Robby as a single father. He enjoyed the concept of working during the day and making cash tips. Through this, Steve could provide for their family while remaining present in his son’s life, especially when Robby got home from school. Steve was good at cooking but even better at managing a restaurant and enjoyed doing it. He always talked about owning a restaurant that would provide the same opportunities he had to other single parents, students, and people who didn’t want to work late nights.
Challenge
Before the pandemic, Robby heard about the SBDC through Pacifica’s Chamber of Commerce in a social media post. He contacted an SBDC representative, who did the intake and connected him to an advisor. While Steve ran the show, Robby had the task of working on potentially repurchasing shares of the business from their original investor. He was looking for loan information and guidance from the SBDC. Robby was interested in how the process worked, including speaking to the bank and possibly applying for an SBA loan.
Gameplan
During the pandemic, another advisor worked with Robby to develop reliable cash flow forecasting models and secure funding from the various emergency disaster relief loan/grant programs. They also continued to work on repurchasing shares, which subsequently made the Bancrofts 100% owners of their closed restaurant in the fall of 2020. Additionally, the advisor worked with Robby on a solid business plan which included a funding strategy and detailed financial projections. The goal was to secure bank financing for purchasing the commercial property the business was renting and re-opening.
Results
With help from the SBDC, the Bancrofts could achieve the goals they had only dreamt of before. From losing their home during the 2008 housing crash to opening their own business in 2014 but having to shut it down for nine months at the start of the pandemic, then acquiring some much-needed relief through the PPP and RRF programs, they finally became the total owners of their business and its building despite the continuing pandemic. They are fortunate and very grateful to be able to provide jobs for their staff and keep the doors open while dealing with increasing expenses of products and supplies. To top it off, Robby recently announced his candidacy for Pacifica City Council in District 2.
