One World operates on the honor system and people choose their own portions and prices. Restaurant customers can also volunteer and receive a voucher for a free meal.
One World Everybody Eats Foundation is a non-profit organization. It began thanks to Denise Cerreta owner of One World Café in Salt Lake City USA. One World has a diverse clientele offering an atmosphere that includes people of all socio-economic classes.
- Payment for meals is voluntary meaning you choose the price that you think the meal is worth. Guideline questions to ask yourself for this honor system are based on how much you eat, what you would pay somewhere else and what is fair to your budget. This system not only allows people to choose their own portions but also helps eliminate waste and makes the food affordable.
Volunteer opportunities are available to those who would like to work an hour in exchange for a voucher for a full free meal. This empowers people by allowing them to eat anonymously with their dignity intact. For those who are unable to volunteer and cannot afford to pay a complimentary staple dish is available.
- Denise was inspired to open her café to help eliminate hunger and her ambitious goal is to put a community kitchen in every city in the world. Their website generously supplies a “Guide to Start a Community Kitchen” to help others replicate the concept.
- One World Café serves organic food that is in season, which keeps their prices down, supports organic farmers and insures the food is fresh. They do not have menus so the customers have more say in the meals and the cooks have more freedom when creating dishes.
- The staff at One World Café is paid fair wages and the typical pay is between 10 and 14 dollars an hour in comparison to the mandatory minimum wage of food service workers, which is only $5.15 an hour.
Brad and Libby Birky have a similar café in downtown Denver Colorado called SAME (So all may eat). They both helped feed the homeless for years prior to opening their café and they love to cook. Denise traveled to Denver to assist them before they opened in October 2006.
Vision Statement:
“We are dedicated to eliminating world hunger. We are dedicated to serving organic unprocessed food. We are dedicated to feeding and including all members of our community. We are dedicated to eliminating waste in the food industry. We believe that we can trust our customers to be inspired, honest and fair in their exchange of money and/or work for the fresh, gourmet, organic food we prepare both mindfully and in a heartfelt way each day. We will keep believing ...” (One World Everybody Eats website, 2007)
When you donate to One World Everybody Eats, you are contributing to a worthy cause. They have a wish list on their website of things they need such as dishes, utensils and appliances but you can also donate through Paypal or send payments to:
One World Everybody Eats Foundation41 South, 300 EastSalt Lake City, UT 84111
For references or more information see their youtube video or visit One World Everybody Eats website.
