One World Everbody Eats

One World Cafe

Rush talks about the latest at the One World Cafe.

Nonprofit eatery can't bring home bacon
One World Cafe, where patrons set prices, has had trouble paying employees
By Kathy Stephenson | The Salt Lake Tribune | Article Launched: 11/09/2008 01:59:45 AM MST

For nearly a year, Salt Lake City's One World Cafe - founded on the altruistic goal of letting customers set their own meal price - has been on a crash course with business reality.
In mid-October, employee paychecks bounced and the longtime manager was fired. Bo Dean's dismissal angered the rest of the staff enough that they walked out in protest.
Founder Denise Cerreta was forced to call a temporary staffing agency so she could serve customers.
Inexperience seems to be the main problem for the nonprofit cafe at 41 S. 300 East.
“As the restaurant grew, I didn't have the expertise at running a kitchen,” acknowledged Cerreta during a media teleconference call on Friday. “We needed more structure and a more professional kitchen.”
A recent review of the business showed the restaurant was overstaffed and management of employee time was poor. It never even had an employee time clock. The restaurant also had failed to keep concise records of food costs and fixed costs. All told, mismanagement cost the restaurant $8,000 to $10,000 a month, Cerreta said.
“There just wasn't a system in place so that it would work as a professional establishment,” added Steve Lyman, a longtime restaurant manager from Squatters, Red Rock and Bambara, who is volunteering his time to help get One World in order.

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One World 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 ...