Two weeks after we reported that much-loved neighborhood fixture Virginia Ramos, aka The Tamale Lady, was no longer welcome to sell her tamales at Zeitgeist, a new Indiegogo fundraising campaign has been set up to raise money for a possible brick and mortar tamale shop.
The campaign arose after Virginia met with Supervisor Campos and other City departments, as well as pro bono consultants from Barbary Coast Consulting who are helping her navigate the permit process. Virginia has always wanted to find a way to sell her tamales without the demands of walking all around the neighborhood, and now she's trying to make the leap to a legal.
From the Indiegogo campaign:
Because Virginia has been saving money for the last 20 years she will be able to pay for the majority of the Tamale store. Supervisor Campos is helping her find a vacant store front but she will need $150,000 to help build out a commercial kitchen in her new restaurant.If everyone in San Francisco who has eaten one of Virginia’s tamales donates what they are able we will help Virginia’s dream come true!
Campos has said that should the campaign raise more than the $150,000 goal, the excess funds would go to the Jamestown Community Center, which provides after-school and summer programs for Mission District youth.
As of Friday morning, the campaign has raised $2,547 of its $150,000 goal.
Previously: Tamale Lady Feels City Support, Vows to Hang On, Tragedy: Tamale Lady Can No Longer Sell At Zeitgeist [Updated]
