‘Soul’ food

“If everyone gives what they have, everyone gets what they need.”

That’s not just an admirable thought, it’s the principle Jill Lacefield used in developing the pay-what-you-can model for her Chico eatery, 100th Monkey Community Café. Opened in 2012, the Fifth Street coffee house’s paradigm changed this summer when Lacefield turned it into a nonprofit. And as of Nov. 3, the new policy was implemented: Instead of fixed prices, suggested donations are requested in exchange for meals. Regardless of what one can pay, nobody is turned away.

“I knew I wanted this to be more than a café; I wanted it to be a community space,” Lacefield said. “But I wondered where it’d go next. Then I was inspired by the SAME café in Denver.”

Short for “So All May Eat,” SAME café follows the One World Everyone Eats movement, started in 2003 by Denise Cerreta, who opened the first pay-what-you-can café in Salt Lake City to address hunger and food insecurity. With a sliding scale, patrons can pay more or less than what’s listed on the menu. After six years of running One World Café, Cerreta began helping more than 45 eateries across the country establish the same model. The latest to join the ranks is 100th Monkey. There’s most certainly a need.

“Roughly one-third of the residents around Butte County don’t know where their next meal is coming from,” Lacefield noted.

Hoping to reduce that statistic, she began gathering the funds necessary to make her vision a reality. Between one Indiegogo campaign and two local fundraisers, Lacefield raised $10,000 to start her nonprofit.

The café is run entirely by 15 volunteers who split shifts among the Monday-through-Thursday schedule. Lacefield, a part-time instructor at Butte College, is both executive director and a volunteer, as the nonprofit’s current budget allows for only two paid positions, which go to chefs Monica Zukarow and Brenda Bestle.

But offering quality food is what Lacefield is especially proud of. As an exclusively vegetarian restaurant, 100th Monkey also offers gluten-free and vegan options at the “mostly organic” café, including an array of quiches, soups and salads, among other items. “We get the majority of our ingredients from the farmers’ market, especially Rob’s Produce,” said Bestle, who added that she had been eager to join Lacefield’s new venture.

Suggested donations for meals are marked at $9 for large plates and $7 for medium plates, both of which come with a dessert option and coffee or tea.

“There has been a shift in the customers since the new policy started,” Lacefield said. “It’s a mix of people from all walks of life.”

For those who cannot afford to pay any of the suggested donations, she trades an hour of work in exchange for a meal. Several customers utilize this method of transaction.

“This is not a soup kitchen,” she said. “Everyone has something to give, even if it’s not money.”

Supporting that giving spirit, many local food providers have offered donations to the café. For instance, the brightly colored walls of 100th Monkey are adorned with work by local artist Marie Hubbard, who donated her inventory to the space. “The vibe is so friendly here,” said first-time customer Karey Cooper. “It feels casual—like being in someone’s living room.”

Lacefield understands the financial obstacles that come with such an operation, but she remains optimistic, and more fundraisers are in the works.

“For the month of December, all donations given above the suggested price will be matched by an anonymous donor,” she said. “We’re in the process of applying for grants, and we’ll have wish lists on our website where people can donate to the café. But it’s not about the money. Denise told me, ‘Even if you can only stay open for six months, it’s worth it—you’re changing lives.’”