A Big Kitchen employee has launched a $14,000 GoFundMe campaign amid urgent needs involving payroll, repairs and mounting financial pressures, warning that the 46-year-old diner's staff cannot hold things together on their own. The breakfast institution at 3003 Grape Street, according to the staff member who started the fundraiser, is seeking support.
The new campaign, created on August 6, seeks support for the café and its staff, as reported by SanDiegoVille. The GoFundMe listing showed $415 from five donations toward its $14,000 goal. The campaign reflects concern about the café's future.
The café has faced costly problems, per the employee's account. Those problems added to the café's financial difficulties.
A Second Rescue Effort in Just Over a Year
This is not the first time the community has been asked to step in for Forman. In May 2025, supporters launched a separate GoFundMe called “Tres Bien Fund for JUDY FORMAN.” SanDiegoVille also covered that campaign at the time.
The new fundraiser asks supporters to donate or share it, or simply come back for breakfast, since the café still operates from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its Grape Street location.
Decades as a South Park Sanctuary
The café's history also includes civic work.
The café's South Park location is part of the neighborhood's story.
The building itself carries its own layered history. According to the San Diego Reader, the Grape Street property was built in the 1920s as a horse carriage assembly shop.
The café's reach extended into the community beyond its dining room. In 1986, Mary Maschal established the Women's History Reclamation Project at 1436 31st Street, where it became the birthplace of the San Diego Women's History Museum, according to Save Our Heritage Organisation.
A Citywide Squeeze on Legacy Diners
The Big Kitchen's troubles are unfolding against a broader economic strain on San Diego's independent restaurants. Labor costs remain a pressure on small full-service eateries. Meanwhile, a California Restaurant Association survey found that 72% of San Diego County restaurants saw reduced customer traffic in 2024 and 2025 compared with prior years, with 7% cutting operations by an additional day per week by late 2025, according to the Times of San Diego.
Broader cost-of-living pressures provide context for local businesses.
Kitchen equipment costs are another concern. Health-related closures are another concern for commercial kitchens. Restaurants in neighboring districts like North Park, Hillcrest, and Bankers Hill have also shut down amid economic pressures, with recent examples including Seventh House, Barrio Star, and Flap Your Jacks.
For now, the Big Kitchen remains open for breakfast on Grape Street, and its staff are hoping that regulars and newcomers alike will answer the call. Keeping the lights on one more morning at a time is the immediate goal.
