One World Everybody Eats announces today its search for pay-what-you-can café operators in and around the Boston area as Panera Bread closes its last Panera Cares location in Boston Massachusetts.
Panera Bread operated a nonprofit pay-what-you-can location under the name Panera Cares at 3 Center Plaza in the Government Center area of Boston for six years. And, during that time, the organization served over one million people in Boston, many of who may not have otherwise been able to eat[1].
“Panera Cares may not have reached their goal of self-sustainment, but they did build community, serve people with dignity, and help a lot of people along the way,” says Denise Cerreta, Founder of One World Everybody Eats, and the first documented pay-what-you-can café. “I applaud the organization for undertaking such an important endeavor, and I hope it encourages many others to do the same.”
One World Everybody Eats is a national community of community cafés working to increase food security for all by providing a local approach to the global issue of hunger. The organization provides education, networking, and best practice sharing for nonprofit café s; in order to, empower everyone to embrace the power of food to build community and serve their neighbors with dignity.
The organization boasts over 60 café s in its network. Among its café s is S.A.M.E. Café in Denver, Colorado; the organizations longest running café in operation for over 13 years. Other cafés include F.A.R.M. Café in Boone, North Carolina which has operated for nearly 7 years; and Grace Café in Danville, Kentucky in operation for nearly 4 years. The organization has experienced significant growth in recent years as new café s launch. New cafés include Open Door Café in Wytheville, Virginia; Thelma’s Café in Kansas City, Missouri; and A Place at the Table in Raleigh, North Carolina.
“I visited [FARM Café] often when I lived in Boone and I earned many meals working here when I hit hard times. If there were more places like this we would have ourselves a better country my fellow Americans,” says Mark Jacob, guest of F.A.R.M. Café (Boone, North Carolina).
“I barely take lunches, and when I do, I inhale it and spend the few minutes I have on my phone. At Thelma's I can connect. Hear stories, tell stories [and] connect to a great community” says Matt Ziegenhorn, guest of Thelma’s Kitchen (Kansas City, Missouri).
One World Everybody Eats encourages everyone to become a part of the local solution to the larger issue of hunger. Connect with your local Everybody Eats Café (click here for a list of Everybody Eats Cafés), or consider serving your own community and open an Everybody Eats Café. One World Everybody Eats offers free resources to help you get started. Find out more at www.oneworldeverybodyeats.org.
[1] Panera Cares. http://paneracares.org/what-we-do/ Accessed February 10, 2019.