New York Congressional District #25

District Success Story:
Buta Pub

The father and son team of Ed and Asa Mott came to the SBDC with the dream of opening a restaurant.  Ed, a retired contractor, and Asa, an executive chef at several of the Rochester areas finest dining venues, found what they believed would be the perfect location.  The restaurant housed a dining room, a theater, and private banquet room under one roof, and was located in the heart of the city’s newest up and coming South Wedge neighborhood. Finally after months of deadlines, reconfiguring financials and planning with Advisor Jim Soufleris at the Brockport SBDC, the place was theirs. Ed and Asa were able to obtain a $260,000 SBA 7a loan to purchase the business. They also made a $120,000 personal investment to get the business off the ground.  They had an initial challenge when an event scheduled by the previous owners was threatened by a delay in the transfer of ownership. But Ed and Asa got permission from the previous owners to use the premises, held the event as scheduled, and it’s been full speed ahead since then! The business is exceeding previous years’ sales by more than 35% and the enterprise has created 40 new jobs. Buta Pub is an American pub with menu inspiration from Asia, a community gathering place for anyone who likes good food, good drink and a casual atmosphere. While still in their startup phase, Buta Pub has garnered a lot of attention.  They were most recently named best new restaurant and best new pub by City magazine!