BRIAN: YEAH, THAT’S MORE THAT
WE’LL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW.
MEANWHILE, STRUGGLING SMALL
BUSINESSES HAVE FOUND A HELPING
HAND TO RECOVER FROM THE IMPACT
OF PANDEMIC FROM THE BAR STOOL
FUND.
>> I’LL BE ABLE TO KEEP MY DOORS
OPEN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS
WITH MY OF STAFFERS WHO HAVE
BEEN THERE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
>> I WAS REALLY THINKING ABOUT
FORECLOSURE AND WHAT LIFE WOULD
KIND OF LOOK LIKE.
[LAUGHTER]
WITHOUT THE RESTAURANT.
AND THEN DAVE CAME THROUGH FOR
US.
>> TO EVERY SMALL BUSINESS OUT
THERE, DON’T GIVE UP HOPE.
WE’RE ALL SUFFERING HERE.
WE’RE ALL TOGETHER, AND I’M
FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE
BARSTOOL COME AND TAKE CARE OF
ME AND MY BUSINESS.
BRIAN: IT WASN’T JUST HIS
BUSINESS, IT’S A LOT OF
BUSINESSES.
SINCE DECEMBER, BARSTOOL HAS
GIVEN MORE THAN $41 MILLION TO
OVER 400 SMALL BUSINESSES OVER
THE COUNTRY.
FOUNDER DAVE PORTNOY JOINS US
NOW.
HEY, DAVE, WE’VE TALKED ABOUT
THIS BEFORE, ABLE TO MEET SOME
BUSINESSES WITH YOU THAT SEE YOU
FOR THE FIRST TIME.
SEEING THOSE NUMBERS, WHAT DOES
IT MEAN TO YOU?
>> YOU KNOW, IT’S BEEN,
OBVIOUSLY, A REWARDING THING
AND, HOPEFULLY, WE DON’T HAVE TO
GO BACK INTO IT WITH EVERYTHING
THAT’S HAPPENING.
BUT ANYBODY WE CAN HELP, ONE
BUSINESS, TWO BUSINESSES, IT
CHANGED THEIR LIVED.
NOT JUST THE LIVES OF BUSINESS
OWNERS AND THEIR FAMILIES,
EVERYBODY AROUND THE COMMUNITY.
IT’S BEEN A SUPER REWARDING
PROGRAM, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
BRIAN: AND THE PEOPLE BELIEVE IN
YOU THAT THE MONEY’S GOING TO GO
TO THE RIGHT PLACE BECAUSE SO
MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN BURNED
BEFORE.
YOU GET THE MONEY AND HAND IT TO
OTHER PEOPLE THAT NEED THE
MONEY, AND YOUR CREDIBILITY MADE
THIS HAPPEN.
THAT’S GOT TO BE, THAT’S GOT TO
BE A GREAT FEELING.
>> YEAH.
I MEAN, THE BEAUTY OF THIS
PROGRAM WAS WE GOT THE MONEY, WE
GOT IT OUT THE DOOR QUICKLY.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE ON OUR
END FROM DONATIONS, MYSELF IF,
THE WHOLE COMPANY WITH BARSTOOL,
WE’RE THERE EVERY MONTH SO IT
WASN’T JUST A ONE-TIME PAYMENT.
WE POKE THE THESE PEOPLE EVERY
MONTH, CHECKED IN WITH THEM.
AND THE BEST PART IS GETTING THE
E-MAILS AND LETTERS FROM THE
BUSINESSES WHO SAY, HEY, WE
DON’T NEED THE MONEY ANYMORE.
WE MADE IT THROUGH THE WORST
PART, AND WE WANT IT TO GO TO
OTHER PEOPLE.
ACTUALLY, WE’VE GOTTEN A TON OF
THOSE LETTERS, AND THAT’S BY FAR
THE MOST REWARDING PART.
BRIAN: ABSOLUTELY.
DO YOU STILL LOOK FOR DONATION
STATUS TO SUSTAIN SOME OF THESE
BUSINESSES?
>> NO, WE’VE SLOWED DOWN WITH
THE DONATIONS.
OBVIOUSLY, WE’LL SEE WHAT
HAPPENS, BUT THIS IS REALLY TO
GET THROUGH THE DARKEST TIME.
SUMMER, OBVIOUSLY, IS GOOD.
A LOT OF PLACES CAN GET GOING
AND REOPEN.
WE’RE NOT LOOKING FOR MORE
DONATIONS RIGHT NOW.
BRIAN: DAVE, I’M SURE I YOU’VE
SEEN THE NEWS, LOS ANGELES, LAS
VEGAS, MASK UP.
HOW SOON TIL OTHER CITIES ARE
GOING TO DO THE SAME THING?
IS THIS GOING TO BE DÉJÀ VU?
>> LEARN, IF YOU TOLD ME THE
FIRST THING -- LISTEN, IF YOU
TOLD ME THE FIRST THING WAS
GOING TO HAPPEN, I WOULD HAVE
SAID NO CHANCE.
I DON’T THINK THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE ACCEPT IT, BUT WHAT DO I
KNOW.
I REALLY CAN’T BELIEVE -- I
MEAN, THESE BUSINESSES THAT WE
HELPED IN THE COUNTRY, THEY’RE
NOT GOING TO -- THEY’RE STILL
STRUGGLING.
THEY’RE JUST IN A BETTER SPOT
THAN THEY WERE.
BUT ANOTHER SHUTDOWN, MASKS --
WHAT DO I KNOW?
I REALLY HOPE SO NOT, BUT I
CAN’T BELIEVE, I WON’T LET
MYSELF BELIEVE THAT’S GOING ON
TO BE THE CASE.
BRIAN: I HOPE NOT.
THEY SEE THE DAMAGE THAT’S BEEN
DONE.
IT’S UNBELIEVABLE.
DAVE, THE OTHER THING, I SAW
LAST NIGHT YOU WERE SHUT DOWN
OFF TWITTER.
WHAT HAPPENED?
>> YOU MEAN A COUPLE WEEKS AGO?
BRIAN: WAS IT A COUPLE WEEKS A
AGO YOU WERE SHUT DOWN?
>> YEAH, YEAH, NO, THAT WAS A
WHILE AGO.
THAT WAS QUICK.
I GOT BACK PRETTY QUICK.
BRIAN: ALL RIGHT.
REAL QUICK THEN, SOMETHING
CHANGED ABOUT COLLEGE SPORTS,
BARSTOOL A PART OF IT.
IF YOU WANT TO, IF YOU’RE A
COLLEGE STUDENT, NOW YOU CAN GET
MARKETING DEALS.
WHAT IS BARSTOOL DOING FOR THESE
ATHLETES?
>> WE’RE SIGNING UP A TON OF D1
ATHLETES AND TRYING TO GET
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS AND REALLY
HELP THEM IMPROVE THEIR SOCIAL
INFLUENCE AND HOW MANY FOLLOWERS
YOU HAVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
THAT’S CURRENCY IN TODAY’S AGE.
SO WE’RE TRYING TO HELP GROW THE
BRAND AND HELP THEM FIGURE OUT
WAYS TO GET MONEY FOR
THEMSELVES.
BRIAN: EXCITING TIME.
BARSTOOL IN FRONT OF IT, DOING
THE MARKETING.
DAVE PORTNOY, THANK YOU SO MUCH.