Owner of Shantell’s in Sanford raffling off Harley to save restaurant

SANFORD, Fla. — Shantell’s in Sanford has been a staple in the downtown area for almost a decade, known for its comfort food.

But owner Shantell Williams is also known for her Harley-Davidson motorcycle, even touring around the country on it for a Netflix documentary. In 2016, she broke a world record, traveling through 48 states in 27 days on it. She calls it her “stress relief.”

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But the pandemic has forced her to choose her business over her bike.

Williams said she plans to raffle the bike off to save her business.

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“To give this up almost makes me happy as long as I can keep this,” she said.

She said she needs to raise at least $100,000 from the raffle of her Harley to do that. Williams said giving up her motorcycle will be hard, but losing her restaurant would be even harder.

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Williams said they average about $250 a day Monday through Thursday.

“On Friday, Saturday, Sunday, we see the bulk of what’s often during the pandemic has helped us get through,” Williams said. “Wow, with the rise in food prices, it’s not enough.”

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Williams said it’s not just about saving her business, it’s also about preserving Sanford history. Once part of the Black business district, Shantell’s is the last Black-owned business in the downtown area.

“And so that is another reason that we can’t go anywhere. We come along with stories that I know a lot of people look forward to hearing and I love sharing,” Williams said.

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