What is One Acre Cafe?

One Acre Café will be opening in the fall of 2013 in downtown Johnson City.  The café will offer our community a “pay-what-you-can” option in a warm and inviting space.  We will serve delicious and healthy meals produced from local sources whenever possible.  This progressive model is new to our area and will be a great addition to the plans for downtown revitalization. This café will operate primarily with volunteers.  It is based on the successful business model of the One World Everybody Eats Foundation.

What kind of food will you serve?

Nutritious and delicious meals!  Some dishes will have meat and some are vegetarian.  Menus will change daily and be served cafeteria style.  Daily menus will be available via FaceBook and Twitter.

Where will the food come from?

One Acre Café will strive to include locally fresh products as much as possible.  We will purchase our food from local farmers as well as national purveyors to maintain quality ingredients and promote local business while feeding those of less means.   We believe in keep food dollars in the community while honoring our responsibility as a non-profit organization to budget the valuable donations of supporters.

How much will customers pay?

We will have suggested donations based on plate size, which means if you are financially able we encourage you to pay that amount or a little more.  If you can’t donate that amount, simply pay what you can or tell us that you would like to volunteer in exchange for your food.

What if someone can’t pay?

We will gladly accept your help in the café in exchange for a meal.  Tell us you need to work in exchange for lunch.  We will assess how we can best use your help and assign a task.  There are jobs for everyone.

How will One Acre Café be funded?

We will be funded through direct donations of dining patrons as well as fundraising projects, outside contributions and grants.

How will One Acre Café be different from other restaurants?

One Acre Café will be different because our goal is not only to serve really good food, but to help relieve hunger in the area, where one in five people may not know where their next meal is coming from.  This is accomplished by patrons helping their neighbor by paying more than the suggested donation or by volunteering in exchange for their food.

Who started the effort in Johnson City?

Several individuals concerned with the growing problem of hunger in our area researched possible solutions.  They learned about the success of community cafés sprouting up across the U.S. based on a model developed by the One World Everybody Eats Foundation. Providing an option to volunteer in lieu of payment seemed like a dignified option to hunger.  One Acre Cafe is and will continue to be a community effort, with a board of directors representing the wider community.

We are proud to say that the Summit Leadership Foundation has taken on One Acre Cafe as a special project until our non-profit status is approved; like us, they see the need in our community for a resource of this type.