PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Reading Terminal Market is wrapping up a crowdfunding campaign and accepting some large donations to help their operations. So how are they doing?
Conor Murphy, general manager of Reading Terminal Market, said they are on track to reach their GoFundMe campaign goal this weekend.
"It started two weeks ago and the initial goal was $250,000. So far we have close to 4,000 people who have contributed to that campaign," he detailed. "As of Friday, it was $165,000, which takes us to 60% of our goal, I guess."
And they've received an additional pledge from media company Barstool Sports.
"They very generously reached out and also offered some matching funds," he said.
Murphy said business is definitely down though.
"Normally on a Friday and Saturday here at the market, we could've expected anything from 40,000-45,000 visitors in one day. I think at the moment, with our door count numbers on a Friday, I think we averaged just around 14,000 visitors," he shared.
But while numbers are down, Murphy said the market is still operating as usual with an additional push on their grocery delivery service.
"Because of the uncertainty around COVID, we just don't want to make any assumptions about the next few months going into 2021."
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And with courts and conventions closed, how are the businesses that are housed inside the market doing?
"The traditional purveyor, grocery, butchers, you know they seem to be holding their own," he said. "The guys that seem to be having difficulty at the moment are the more traditional lunch counters."
For Murphy, the best part about their fundraising campaign has been reading the messages people have left alongside their donations.
"Just like the family stories, the family connections, first dates, break-ups, all sorts of stuff," he said."
"You know, when they came here during lunchtime when they were in college in Philadelphia but now they're living on the other side of the country or people who got married here at the terminal events or people who came here after a heavy Saturday night celebrating somewhere else in the city!"