Fiona Lewis is excited.
“The display case for the fish arrived today, and so did the exhaust fan,” says Lewis, whose sustainable seafood stall,
The District Fishwife, is still in build-out at Union Market. “These are two things we cannot open without.”
Lewis, a Brookland resident and native of Australia, has launched an
Indiegogo campaign to raise $20,000 to help complete equipment installation and other last-minute touches.
Contributors are eligible for swag including caps and T-shirts emblazoned with the Fishwife’s logo, which riffs on the flag of the District. A one-on-one fish cutting class with Vernon Lingonfelter, a longtime seafood buyer well known around Washington and recently hired by the Fishwife, is also being offered for those who pledge $500 or more.
A crowdfunding campaign like this one “has two purposes,” says Lewis, who was inspired to create one after talking to
Carolyn Stromberg at Righteous Cheese about the idea (the cheesemonger occupies a nearby stall in Union Market). “It’s a way for us to procure extra funds at the last minute to get the last bits and pieces done, and it’s a great way to build some buzz” around the shop, says Lewis.
Lewis said she and her husband, Ben Friedman, had fun making the
video and learning how to do some basic editing, all on Lewis’ smart phone.
“The main message I want [viewers] to have is that we’re a local family trying to [open] a small, local business that will offer great products, much needed products,” says the mother of a three-year-old.
District Fishwife will offer prepared dishes like fish and chips as well as sustainably caught fish customers will take home to cook.
As of Friday, District Fishwife has raised $3,565 of its $20,000 goal.