Community Rallies Around Royal Oak Coffee, Raising Over $30,000 in GoFundMe Campaign

A GoFundMe page for Royal Oak Coffee has raised over $30,000 since it was created last week. The current goal is to raise $60,000 to help Royal Oak Coffee overcome a devastating financial hit. Royal Oak Coffee owners Matt and Alessandra Delia-Lobo created the page to raise money as they try to fix flood damage in their business and home, navigate financial challenges in tax payments, and prepare for the upcoming birth of their second child.

Founded in late 2018, Royal Oak features Vivid Coffee Roasters products, along with a rotating selection of other coffee roasters and some pastries. They used to have a second location called the Lost Monarch Coffee Bar, located in the Stone Mill, which closed in January 2023. Creating the fundraising page and reaching out for help felt vulnerable, as the couple had entirely self-funded the Royal Oak operation before the GoFundMe.

The couple initially decided to work with a local financial professional on business development and personal finances so they could meet face-to-face. However, the pandemic made this difficult, making it increasingly difficult to communicate with their advisor during this period. Then, the couple’s financial advisor abruptly retired, and the couple struggled to navigate their finances, resulting in mispayments that eliminated opportunities to qualify for tax credits and federal relief programs.

During this period, Royal Oak missed out on a federal employee retention tax credit, flood repairs for the shop, and other federal programs. On a personal level, the couple were not able to capitalize on programs that would have helped with flood repair for their own home and childcare subsidies.

Matt expressed appreciation for the outpouring of support he and his wife have received since launching the fundraiser. He recalled a moment last week, following the fundraiser launch, where he ran into a donor at the Middlebury Natural Foods Co-Op, who was like, “You belong here.”

Despite the limited number of seats in the Seymour Street space, Royal Oak has transformed into a community gathering place. Middlebury students have an affinity for the coffee shop, with Natalie Penna ’24 considering it her favorite work environment because of the friendly staff and great playlist. Sophia Butler-Rahman ’25 expressed appreciation for the effort Royal Oak makes to experiment with different cultures in their coffee, which she witnessed at a MiddSciCafe event Matt led.

The $30,000 the couple has raised so far will be enough for the couple to stabilize Royal Oak. The GoFundMe increased their goal to $60,000, which would allow the couple to continue expanding their commitment to the community. Five years in, the Delia-Lobos are more committed than ever to staying open and continuing to serve the Middlebury community.

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