One World Cafe
Encyclopedia
One World Everybody Eats (OWEE) is a nonprofit community kitchen and foundation based in Salt Lake City, Utah
. Its motto is "a hand up, not a hand out." The community kitchen concept is a restaurant based on a gift economy, allowing patrons to "pay what they can" and serving all members of the community regardless of their ability to pay. The Cafe incorporates volunteer and common-effort aspects similar to those of a community garden. The organization believes in providing all who eat high quality, all natural, simple food and asks patrons to give fairly in exchange so that everyone can partake. a
If they cannot afford to pay, customers can volunteer at the cafe, doing dishes, cooking, or working in the garden, and they will receive meal vouchers for the work they perform. Patrons can also pay for a meal by donating supplies or organically grown produce to the Cafe. A wish list is maintained in the Cafe for those interested in donating specific supplies.
One World turns no-one away for inability to pay. All patrons are asked to give fairly in exchange for their meal, but ultimately relies on a gift economy and freely feeds all who come in.
, natural, and local cuisine that includes vegan, vegetarian and meat dishes.
There is no standard menu, the fare changes daily based on the availability of local food (often donations from patrons) and the Chef's inspiration. Although there is no menu, One World Everybody Eats specializes in "home-style" dishes from around the world featuring staples such as bread, soup, salad, entree, organic coffees and teas, dessert, grains, quiche
, and dal
and rice
. The cafe purchases foodstuffs locally whenever possible.
Many in the food-service industry were skeptical that a restaurant business model that doesn't include set food prices would actually work, but One World Everybody Eats has maintained the model since its inception, thus far beating the odds articulated by researcher H.G. Parsa of Ohio State University on the subject of restaurant survivability.
In 2006, the founders of the SAME Cafe
("So All May Eat") in Denver, Colorado used the One World Cafe model as a basis for their own community kitchen.
In 2008, the founders of One World Spokane opened using the OWEE model.
In 2009, A Better World Cafe in Highland Park, New Jersey
opened using the OWEE model.
In 2010, the OWEE Foundation began hosting a yearly summit in January for entrepreneurs with restaurants based on One World's model as well as those interested in starting one.
is almost nonexistent, and the cafe has almost zero food waste
.
One World Everybody Eats pays all its employees a living wage, although staff wages in the restaurant industry are traditionally below minimum wage. And although One World Everybody Eats is helping to pioneer this mix of altruism
and business, it fully encourages others to copy its concept, adapt it, or—if possible—improve upon its concept. The foundation even provides guidance for those interested in pursuing their own version of the community kitchen concept.
The One World Everybody Eats Foundation has the goal of ending world hunger through the reproduction of the One World Everybody Eats model around the country and across the globe. Its volunteer-training program will certify volunteers in food service and handling, giving them a marketable skill in the food service industry.
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
. Its motto is "a hand up, not a hand out." The community kitchen concept is a restaurant based on a gift economy, allowing patrons to "pay what they can" and serving all members of the community regardless of their ability to pay. The Cafe incorporates volunteer and common-effort aspects similar to those of a community garden. The organization believes in providing all who eat high quality, all natural, simple food and asks patrons to give fairly in exchange so that everyone can partake. a
Operation
The cafe serves food according to a "no-menu, no prices" model. A pay-what-you-want model is used.If they cannot afford to pay, customers can volunteer at the cafe, doing dishes, cooking, or working in the garden, and they will receive meal vouchers for the work they perform. Patrons can also pay for a meal by donating supplies or organically grown produce to the Cafe. A wish list is maintained in the Cafe for those interested in donating specific supplies.
One World turns no-one away for inability to pay. All patrons are asked to give fairly in exchange for their meal, but ultimately relies on a gift economy and freely feeds all who come in.
Menu
The cafe serves an organicOrganic food
Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.For the...
, natural, and local cuisine that includes vegan, vegetarian and meat dishes.
There is no standard menu, the fare changes daily based on the availability of local food (often donations from patrons) and the Chef's inspiration. Although there is no menu, One World Everybody Eats specializes in "home-style" dishes from around the world featuring staples such as bread, soup, salad, entree, organic coffees and teas, dessert, grains, quiche
Quiche
Quiche is a savory, open-faced pie of vegetables, cheese, or meat in custard, baked in a pastry crust.The quiche is sometimes regarded as the savoury equivalent ofegg custard tart.- Etymology:...
, and dal
Dal
Dal is a preparation of pulses which have been stripped of their outer hulls and split. It also refers to the thick stew prepared from these, an important part of Indian, Nepali, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, and Bangladeshi cuisine...
and rice
Basmati
Basmati is a variety of long grain rice grown in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, notable for its fragrance and delicate, nuanced flavour. Its name means "the fragrant one" in Sanskrit, but it can also mean "the soft rice," and the word coincidentally means "my smile" in Arabic...
. The cafe purchases foodstuffs locally whenever possible.
History
The One World Cafe was founded by Denise Cerreta in 2003, and is one of the first pay-as-you-can cafes in the world. The One World Everybody Eats Foundation grew out of the concept of the cafe, to promote the social goals the cafe epitomizes.Many in the food-service industry were skeptical that a restaurant business model that doesn't include set food prices would actually work, but One World Everybody Eats has maintained the model since its inception, thus far beating the odds articulated by researcher H.G. Parsa of Ohio State University on the subject of restaurant survivability.
In 2006, the founders of the SAME Cafe
SAME Cafe
The SAME Cafe is a nonprofit community cafe located at 2023 East Colfax Avenue, Denver, Colorado. Brad and Libby Birky invested $30,000 to open the restaurant on October 20, 2006, inspired by their background in community service and a visit to the One World Cafe in Salt Lake City, Utah...
("So All May Eat") in Denver, Colorado used the One World Cafe model as a basis for their own community kitchen.
In 2008, the founders of One World Spokane opened using the OWEE model.
In 2009, A Better World Cafe in Highland Park, New Jersey
Highland Park, New Jersey
Highland Park is a borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 13,982....
opened using the OWEE model.
In 2010, the OWEE Foundation began hosting a yearly summit in January for entrepreneurs with restaurants based on One World's model as well as those interested in starting one.
Mission
The board and staff of One World Everybody Eats believes food and our relationship to it can be closely tied to numbers of personal and societal ills. They believe the community kitchen can provide a relatively classless environment for people from all social and economic groups to gather communally to enjoy healthy food, partaken of in a healthy way. Because customers are encouraged to choose their own portions, the incidence of overeatingOvereating
Overeating generally refers to the long-term consumption of excess food in relation to the energy that an organism expends , leading to weight gainingand often obesity. It may be regarded as an eating disorder....
is almost nonexistent, and the cafe has almost zero food waste
Food Salvage
Food salvage is a term for food gleaning programs that collect surplus food from restaurants and dining facilities and distribute it to local emergency food programs on a regular basis....
.
One World Everybody Eats pays all its employees a living wage, although staff wages in the restaurant industry are traditionally below minimum wage. And although One World Everybody Eats is helping to pioneer this mix of altruism
Altruism
Altruism is a concern for the welfare of others. It is a traditional virtue in many cultures, and a core aspect of various religious traditions, though the concept of 'others' toward whom concern should be directed can vary among cultures and religions. Altruism is the opposite of...
and business, it fully encourages others to copy its concept, adapt it, or—if possible—improve upon its concept. The foundation even provides guidance for those interested in pursuing their own version of the community kitchen concept.
The One World Everybody Eats Foundation has the goal of ending world hunger through the reproduction of the One World Everybody Eats model around the country and across the globe. Its volunteer-training program will certify volunteers in food service and handling, giving them a marketable skill in the food service industry.