When the owner of Gordon’s Fusion asked for the community’s help in keeping the business afloat and saving it from imminent closure, many showed up to support his cause and enjoy a warm meal.

Gordon Stewart said it’s been a challenging season for Gordon’s Fusion, the restaurant he opened in 2022 at 103 Northwest Coveland Street in Coupeville. Last Thursday, the restaurant’s Facebook account put out a call for help to raise $50,000, money that would allow the restaurant to “reset” and make it to the summer.

According to Stewart, the restaurant is struggling to pay state taxes. One of the latest payments, amounting to about $10,000 was sent back and is now due again on Wednesday, Dec. 4. The other payment of $8,000, which was due Wednesday, has been paid thanks to the customers who came to the restaurant.

As of Wednesday morning, the fundraiser on GoFundMe has raised $5,730 from 47 donors.

Community members can support Gordon’s Fusion by dining at the restaurant or by donating to www.gofundme.com/f/gordons-fusion. Dining has especially been making a difference and will continue to make a difference in the future, Stewart said.

Furthermore, Gordon’s needs to make payroll for “at least” the past two weeks and pay food bills, he said.

The Department of Revenue moved the original Dec. 1 deadline to Dec. 4, giving Gordon’s more time to pay an approximately $10,000 bill. If the payment is missed, the restaurant will be closed down with no chance of making it to the summer, Stewart said.

If the restaurant closes, he will be left with $200,000 of debt.

While the restaurant was able to keep up with payments through the summer, despite a “not great” season, the fall has been particularly slow and difficult for a variety of reasons.

The cost of taxes and food has been increasing, and in an effort to save money, many choose to cook at home rather than dine out. Those who do go out may not be familiar with Gordon’s, which is tucked away from Front Street and not as visible as other businesses.

In 2021, a fire destroyed the kitchen at Currents Bistro, which has been closed since. Stewart believes many are unaware that a new restaurant took over the building.

The restaurant took another hit last March. Despite winning the clam chowder contest at Musselfest, Stewart said the festival has brought little to no revenue to the restaurant, which lost thousands of dollars to make 80 gallons of chowder for the tastings and didn’t get much foot traffic as visitors opted for the street vendors. And while it might be a reputation boost, it mainly does so with tourists who visit the town once a year, he said.

Though some may argue that he could simply set up his own booth at the festival, he said that would defy the purpose of running a brick-and-mortar business in Coupeville.

The restaurant has also been suffering from what Stewart called an “identity crisis.” For 19 years he was known for offering fine dining at Gordon’s on Blueberry Hill in Freeland.

Blueberry Hill closed at the end of last year due to the aging building and difficulty in keeping up with rent payments, according to a statement Stewart shared in October 2023. In the interview, he also attributed the closure to the challenge of attracting and retaining employees due to the lack of affordable housing options on the island.

While he is known for fine dining, Stewart had to adapt Gordon’s Fusion’s menu to the dining habits of the community that have changed due to the rising cost of living. The menu has kept some fine dining options while also offering “upscale comfort food, but very reasonably priced” and inspired by the melting pot of cultures in New Orleans, where he trained to become a chef.

The restaurant also is meant to be a place where people can socialize, watch sports on the TV screen and support artists by displaying art from the Penn Cove Gallery.

Currently, Gordon’s is relying on less expensive ingredients to make more affordable dishes, but no less creative. Comfort foods, like the chicken gorgonzola with gnocchi and the wild mushroom and chicken risotto with apple cranberry compote, have been pretty popular. The rib eye, on the other hand, is not being served because it the most cost ineffective item, he said.

Stewart said he would like to see a meeting where local business owners share concerns and ideas with the Town of Coupeville, as he is not the only one struggling. One way his restaurant could catch people’s attention in the darkness, he said, would be by installing a neon sign outside, which the town code prohibits.

Stewart hopes Gordon’s Fusion will continue to do what he loves most — feed the community.

Note: This story was updated Nov. 29.

(File photo) Chef Gordon Stewart.