NC State alumna Maggie Kane is working to open a pay-what-you-can cafe on Hillsborough Street. With long communal tables and five payment options, from paying by volunteering to paying for someone else’s meal, A Place at the Table wants to cultivate a sense of community among all Raleigh citizens regardless of their ability to afford a meal.
“I really wanted to find a way to create that community, and I think food is the way to do it, and a restaurant is the way to do it,” Kane said. “It’s just a way to break down the walls that exist that our society has put up. We’re all so separated, and it’s not what we’re intended to do on this Earth. We’re supposed to be in community together, and I think if we can provide that place for relationships to build, then change can happen.”
Kane, who earned her international relations degree from NC State in 2013, said she wants to change the exclusivity of restaurant culture by eliminating money as a limiting factor.
“I basically always thought restaurants were exclusive and they left a socioeconomic class out of being inside, and they turned people away because if you don’t have enough money in your pocket, you don’t feel welcome to go in and risk the shame you might feel of it being too expensive for you to feed your family,” Kane said.
The cafe will occupy one of two ground-floor commercial spaces below what will be Hillsborough Lofts, a seven-story apartment complex in the lot where Two Guys Pizza once stood, in between The Alley and Shanghai Express.
But first the organization has to raise $100,000, an amount that will pay for startup expenses, a year’s worth of rent, food costs and six months of working capital. Having applied for its 501(c)3 status over the summer, A Place at the Table can now start accepting donations on its own rather than solely via Presbyterian Campus Ministry, with whom it has close ties. The cafe, originally set to open in January, is now looking at a summer 2016 opening date due to delays in the construction process, but Kane called this “a blessing in disguise.”
“We probably won’t be ready until next summer, and I’m thankful for it,” Kane said. “A Place at the Table is thankful for it—we are not ready to open financially at all. We just now started fundraising.”
A Place at the Table launched a month-long crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo Thursday. Kane chose Indiegogo because it allows the organization to offer perks to backers. Those who donate $25 will receive A Place at the Table’s gratitude and a recipe for the cafe’s “famous egg casserole.” With a $10,000 donation, backers will receive a permanent plate on the wall of A Place at the Table, in addition to a gift card, a founder’s T-shirt, a bumper sticker, gratitude, a recipe and a free meal. Since the crowdfunding campaign started at the beginning of the month, A Place at the Table has received more than $5,000 in donations.
In addition to monetary donations, Kane said simply sharing the crowdfunding page on social media and volunteering with A Place at the Table are free and easy ways students can help the cafe.
Despite fundraising struggles, A Place at the Table has been successful in fostering community involvement. During the summer, the organization began working with students enrolled in the nonprofit internship class at NC State. The nonprofit cafe has also grown its board of directors to include 11 members with Kane as executive director.
“It’s all about making connections,” Kane said. “I swear that’s just how the world is.”
Kane has also expressed interest in working with other organizations, such as NC State’s Feed the Pack food pantry, and she hopes the cafe can grow to fundraise for other causes.
“If this was to be so successful that we don’t have to raise money, we then raise money for another program,” Kane said. “We’d raise money to be able to train people in our restaurant and give them jobs. We’d raise money to turn it around and help someone start their own community garden. We’d raise money for Feed the Pack food pantry. We want to give back as well.”
A Place at the Table has yet to establish its menu, but Kane is hoping to serve breakfast food such as egg casseroles, with a focus on buying locally grown seasonal produce.
“It really will depend on the chef, which we don’t have because we’re not sure of the time frame of when that building is going to be ready,” Kane said.
The plan is for the cafe to open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The cafe will be available as a community space for groups to meet in the evening, but Kane hopes to expand A Place at the Table’s hours to include dinner as well.
About 80 percent of customers need to pay in order for the restaurant to be successful, but the skeptics who are concerned about the viability of a pay-what-you-can restaurant do not put off Kane.
“I believe that people will pay. I believe that if they can afford to pay, they will, and if they can’t, then they’re still welcome,” Kane said.
To donate to A Place at the Table, visit the crowdfunding campaign page at aplaceatthetableraleigh.org.
$25,000 Startup expenses
$40,000 Food costs and working capital
$35,000 Rent for one year
1. Pay what you can afford
2. Pay what you would typically pay for a similar meal ($5-$7)
3. Pay what you would typically pay, plus an extra donation
4. Pay for someone else’s full meal
5. Pay by volunteering
