Sula Wok cooks up a creative financing plan – and neighbours are buying in

LORNE ABUGOV

SUPPLIED PHOTOS: Much has changed for Sula, husband Andrew and their family since the popular Sula Wok restaurant opened on Main Street, and now the next phase of business expansion is taking shape fuelled in part by community supporters.

Sula Wok, the much-loved Asian fusion restaurant at 184 Main Street, is midway through building its House of Dreams, rising from the ground right next door to the current location. The owners have now launched a creative way to engage the Old Ottawa East community to help the small business move their construction project across the finish line.

The family-owned restaurant, operated by chef Xin-Hui Su, better known as Sula, and husband Andrew Lay, is seeking micro-loans from community members to help shrink the construction financing that will be required to complete the project, including an expanded restaurant and five apartment units atop the new eatery.

There are two pathways for community members to play a role in the restaurant’s ongoing journey – Help Now – Eat Later and Help Now – Repaid Later. The first option is paid back in gift cards with a 10% bonus, and the second is paid back with a 7% annual rate of interest. Both options will be repaid upon completion of the construction project.

According to Sula Wok’s social media, any size micro-loan – alongside other forms of community support like sharing social media posts or simply visiting the restaurant – “makes a big difference” in sustaining its operations through the winter months and spreading out the financial load of the construction project, which the couple has thus far shouldered entirely on their own.

Micro-loans – typically small amounts of capital offered to individuals or small enterprises to help with immediate financial needs or to support growth – are becoming a popular tool for community-based economic development.

Since its opening in Old Ottawa East in early 2018, Sula Wok has become a local go-to spot for its pan-Asian cuisine and its vibrant takeout service. Customers speak highly of Sula’s imaginative menu options, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-friendly dishes featuring dumplings, rice and noodle bowls, and fusion tacos.

Community-based economic development

The micro-loans project is believed to be the first of its kind in Old Ottawa East. By inviting patrons to contribute through micro-loans, Sula Wok is blending grassroots support with modern financial innovation – encouraging a sense of shared investment in local business resilience, community-building and cultural vibrancy.

“When you’re doing a project like this, you are thinking about how it’s going to be financed,” Andrew recently told The Mainstreeter. “There is no way to complete the project without construction financing – that’s typically how these things get built. But we also thought there might be a way of doing this differently, going beyond mainstream financing strategies.

“GoFundMe has been a popular method of raising money, but we saw it as somewhat anonymous. It is a worldwide platform and the reach is great, but it didn’t really involve our community of Old Ottawa East or adjacent communities like Old Ottawa South, the Glebe, Centertown, Sandy Hill, and Alta Vista.

Instead, the couple opted to promote the idea themselves within the restaurant as well as using their own social media channels. “The micro-loan concept resonated more strongly with us because it involved people who support the restaurant and live in our community, people motivated to build community in a strategic way.”

Community response is picking up steam

Before launching the micro-loan program, Andrew and Sula spoke with many of their customers, mostly spit balling ideas on financing. “Before going public, we really felt we needed to have something to show the community – construction needed to be in full swing so people would see this was for real,” Andrew recalls. “Admittedly, we felt some level of trepidation, wondering how people would respond to the idea. There was always a risk that it might fall flat on its face. Would people actually understand the Micro Loan concept? The distinction between a loan (paid back) and charity (gift).”

Drawings on this page and page opposite provide a glimpse of what the new and expanded Sula Wok will look like when the construction is done.

Response to the micro-loan campaign continues to pick up steam. “We feel we are really only at the beginning of the process. Some people act quickly, while others have let the idea simmer before determining how they will be involved.

“A good example of moving quickly was the River Dental Clinic right here in the neighbourhood. For them, it was a no-brainer. The owner learned about the Micro Loan on our website when she was ordering dinner; without hesitation, she said she wanted to help. Of the contributions thus far, most have come from people we have built relationships with over the eight years we have been working on the restaurant’s front line.”

When asked about the two pathways to contribute to the project, Andrew said, “We wanted to keep the options as simple and clear as possible. We needed to be as realistic as possible about our capacity. Unlike “Perks” that are promoted in programs like Go Fund Me, we don’t have time to offer cooking courses in exchange for support. Maybe one day we will have time to teach people how to make dumplings, perhaps when the building is complete?”

Construction of new Sula Wok on target

An aerial view of the concrete building that will house the new Sula Wok restaurant on Main Street, as well as five apartments. Construction is progressing well and hopes are high to have a completed exterior frame by the end of March.

Construction is progressing well despite the challenging site conditions in addition to the snowy and cold winter weather. Timelines have been a bit of a moving target, but as the building gets further out of the ground, the finish line becomes clearer. “Our goal is to have a completed structure in place by the end of March. There will still be plenty of interior finishing work, but at least the site will be contained.”

The building envelope is constructed using ICF – insulated concrete forms. Though the process has not moved at the pace of wood-framed construction, the end product will have high levels of energy efficiency, sound proofing, and fire separations. The building will certainly stand the test of time.”

New restaurant will seat 50 to 60 patrons

Once completed, according to Andrew, the new building will contain five apartments, a mix of one- and two-bedroom units, along with the new home of Sula Wok on the ground level. Apartment units will be on the second and third floors, with two of the units on the third floor connecting to fourth-level mezzanines.

He says the seating capacity of the new Sula Wok restaurant has not been finalized. “There will probably be somewhere between 50 and 60 seats, which may sound big, but it will feel cozy and comfortable. There are always ways to cram another seat in, but that’s really not our strategy. We want to make it comfortable,” he explains. “The kitchen will be open concept, and it will seem very similar to the original Sula Wok. It won’t be a carbon copy by any means, but you’ll see a strong similarity, still including a window for outdoor service.”
And what are the plans for the building currently housing Sula Wok? “The best-case scenario would have us operating another restaurant with a different cuisine, but our minds are open to whatever makes sense. Until timelines become clearer, those decisions will remain on the backburner.

“We are not cookie cutter people; no matter what happens, it will be interesting and complimentary to the street,” he adds.

Building community together

The couple reflects upon the satisfaction they have already gained through the micro-loan project. “The benefits have been two-fold,” Andrew notes. “Financially, it has made a difference, but perhaps even more importantly, every time a supporter contributes, no matter what the amount, it breathes new wind in our sails as we navigate the construction process. Knowing people believe in us, believe in what we’re doing, and building community together makes all the difference,” Andrew concludes.

Anyone wishing to afford Sula and Andrew a micro-loan can obtain information and forms at https://www.sulawok.com/micro-loan.