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In Denver, everyone can afford to eat organic
At the SAME Café in Colorado, diners pay what they can for organic and local dishes.
Mon, Feb 28 2011 at 12:14 PM
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Libby Birky, in a snapshot from video
Last year, I told you about St. Louis Bread Company Cares, a restaurant run by the same company that runs Panera Bread. At the restaurant, customers pay what they can. There are no menu prices.
I just read on Organic Nation TV about a similar restaurant in Denver, Colo., called SAME Café. SAME stands for So All May Eat. What’s impressive about SAME Café is that it’s an independent restaurant run by a husband and wife. It doesn’t have the corporate backing that the St. Louis Bread Company Cares has, so it’s a much bigger risk.SAME Café is run by Brad and Libby Birky and a team of volunteers who prepare organic and mostly local meals daily. Customers pay what they can in an anonymous payment box. Those who can’t afford to pay anything are welcome to volunteer at the restaurant. The money in the box covers about 75 percent of the restaurant’s expenses. Grants and other donations cover the rest of the expenses.
You can see SAME Café in operation in this video shot by Organic Nation TV:
SAME Café’s “philosophy is that everyone, regardless of economic status, deserves the chance to eat healthy food while being treated with dignity.” Do you think that a business model like SAME’s accomplishes this goal?
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I have visited one in Salt Lake City because the food was so good. Is there a way to find a list of where such establishments operate. I'd love to help out and eat in their cafe's. I think it is a beautiful idea!
I love what you're doing. I used to do sliding scale counseling without income questions. Unfortunately, I found that sometimes, people who could afford to pay more, did not. I loved providing a service people could not otherwise afford, but it was hard to stay afloat when people were not honest about what they could pay. You're doing a great thing. I hope the grants will enable you to continue.
I am a resident of denver colorado, and have been to SAME. Its a really wonderful place. I didn't know the owners story before watching this video however, and I have been so moved by her. Thanks for posting!
I am a resident of denver colorado, and have been to SAME. Its a really wonderful place. I didn't know the owners story before watching this video however, and I have been so moved by her. Thanks for posting!
http://www.ourmidland.com/voices/health/article_601d3922-402d-11e0-833c-... Thank you for the great info on Organic Nation TV( i will be watching that show) and a pay what you can policy is fantastic from the Bread comapny. As a diabetic it is critical for us to eat organic. The chemicals can led to Diabetes toes numbess. Diabetics must eat organic (as the newspaper article mentions)