Beloved Community Café, a pay-what-you-can café, is set to open in the Grand Central District of St. Pete. The café’s mission is to provide a space where people can come together and break bread without breaking the bank.
A Space for Connection
According to Rev. Jen Daysa, co-manager of the café, the goal is to create a space where no one eats alone unless they want to. The café will have hospitality volunteers who will sit down with customers and engage in conversation.
The café will offer lunch service most days of the week and a community dinner at least once a month. On Sundays, the café will open up as Church Brunch and offer a space for worship and reflection.
Radical Hospitality
The café’s mission statement is simple but transformative: to create a space of radical hospitality where good food and genuine connection are available to all, regardless of what someone can afford. The café will also have a pay-it-forward option, where customers can pay extra to help fund a neighbor-in-need’s meal.
Chef Blake Robbins will serve as the kitchen manager, and the café will be open a few afternoons a week as a Recovery Café, a nationwide network supporting people on the road to recovery.
Despite the religious focus on Sunday, Daysa emphasizes that the space is for everyone, regardless of creed. The café is housed within the Good Samaritan Church, where Daysa also serves as a pastor.
Original reporting: St. Pete Catalyst — read the source article.
