A Place at the Table, a nonprofit pay-what-you-can cafe, is bringing community and good food to the Raleigh community. This organization is composed of volunteers and community members who are dedicated to creating a stable and compassionate environment Downtown.
Haley Pierce, a front-of-house staff member at A Place at the Table, said that besides good food, community is a main focus of the organization.
“The first and foremost part of the Table’s mission is community and good food for all. There’s not one without the other,” Pierce said. “We do have trained chefs who are making quality meals for people, but we also really emphasize the community aspect as well.”
There is a $3 minimum charge for all meals, but guests can choose to pay more or donate to the organization. Volunteers are given a free meal following their shift.
Emily Weidman, director of partnerships and community engagement at A Place at the Table, said this pay model embodies the organization’s message and ideals.
“[The pay-what-you-can model] is a really dignified model because it allows for folks to have various options, and what somebody might choose to use one day might be different the next day,” Weidman said. “So, depending on the situation someone’s in, they may choose to volunteer one day for a meal. And then the next day, depending on finances, they may have a couple of dollars that they want to pay.”
Pierce said this system is also set up to foster a sense of togetherness among volunteers, staff and guests.
“When people walk in to volunteer for an hour, they’re able to stay for a little bit, they’re able to feel a part of what the cafe is doing, talk to people that they maybe never would have met otherwise and form relationships there,” Pierce said. “I get to see those relationships forming, which is really, really cool. So we are there to provide meals for people who might need them and provide alternative ways for people to pay, who might not be able to pay a full restaurant price. But we’re also there to provide a sense of belonging to people and make them feel like they are a part of something within their community.”
Pierce said the relationships she has seen develop among volunteers, guests and staff members have been one of the most rewarding aspects of the job.
“As you’re working with the volunteers, you build that camaraderie. And I feel like that’s something that people can see when they come and sit down and eat, even if they don’t really know anyone themselves,” Pierce said. “Then they can see that the staff and volunteers are interacting and have friendships built and have their little banter going on and have laughs together. A lot of people are part of that. It’s also something I feel is clear when you walk in and have a meal at the cafe.”
Weidman said volunteers and staff members are the heart of the organization.
“[Volunteers] really make up who we are and make up the experience of being here at Table,” Weidman said. “We rely very heavily on volunteers, and it’s this awesome experience where people of all different experiences are coming together and volunteering alongside each other.”
The organization was founded in 2015 and has continued to grow and evolve to serve the community and its needs. Weidman said the organization prides itself on their ability to adapt to community needs and standards.
“As a team, we believe very heavily that regardless of how small a situation is, it’s really important to walk through that and give it time because we know that a lot of those situations impact the greater community and folks’ experiences here,” Weidman said. “Things are changing in the world every single day. Things are changing in this community every day. So being open to completely changing the way we do things or the structure of a specific program or something within the organization is really important.”
Choice is another highlight of A Place at the Table. Pierce said, while most soup kitchens or food pantries do not have choice as a forefront of their mission, A Place at the Table emphasizes the dignity in choice.
“We have a great menu that was redeveloped over the spring. Our trained chefs prepare [the food], and [guests] get to look at the menu and choose one meal,” Pierce said. “The dignity of choice is a huge thing that we focus on.”
Weidman said in the face of an ever-changing world where food can be scarce, and food insecurity is rampant, A Place at the Table is a place of security and respect.
“We’ve seen people come in years later and share their story of how this place was a big help when [they] didn’t have a lot of money and now [they’re] here and able to pay the full suggested price for [their] meal and pay it forward and help cover somebody else’s,” Weidman said. “So it’s this really dignified way that people can take part every single day with multiple options, not feeling like you’re tied into just one mouth.”
Pierce said working at A Place at the Table, directly in the line of food insecurity, has taught her that community is vital.
“It’s definitely a different experience to actually be a part of a solution, or if not a solution, just a way to address food and security in the community and actually hear people’s stories versus learning about numbers,” Pierce said. “Obviously, that’s a very different experience. And it’s definitely given me a better perspective on just how fast someone’s situation can change.
Pierce said everyone is welcome at A Place at the Table for some good food and community.
“I feel like it’s a great way to be like, ‘hey, at the end of the day, no one is really different than each other, we’re all the same, we can all make connections and chat,’” Pierce said. “Food doesn’t make a difference in the relationships that we can build.”
Weidman said the cafe is not for one single person, but rather the entire community or anyone who might be in need.
“This cafe is not for any one person,” Weidman said. “It’s for the entire community, and it truly takes the whole community to actually make this place work and for the mission and the vision to happen.”
