Among the dozens of restaurants in the Old Town area is the FoCo Cafe. Despite the numerous establishments, there is something unique about this location. 

According to the cafe’s website, “FoCo Cafe’s mission is to build community by providing nutritious and delicious meals to the people of Fort Collins regardless of their ability to pay while using mostly local, organic and sustainably grown ingredients.”

Opened in 2014, the FoCo Cafe is completely nonprofit, and patrons pay for their meals through optional donations. There are recommended donation amounts for the various meal options, but they are not required, said Dexter Beasley, executive director of the cafe.

“A really rewarding thing is when one of our regulars who was experiencing homelessness comes to us and tells us that they finally have a place lined up. They thank us for the help we were able to give them. It’s always really heartwarming to hear.” –Dexter Beasley, executive director of FoCo Cafe

Beasley said patrons who cannot contribute monetarily may spend up to an hour volunteering for the cafe in exchange for their meal.

“We need those patrons who are able to donate a little bit more for their meals so we can keep feeding those in the community who can’t contribute monetarily,” Beasley said.

Ingredients for meals are locally sourced from farmers, churches and individual gardeners around Fort Collins, said Michelle Coy, head chef of FoCo Cafe. 

“(This job) was exactly what I was looking for — a true farm-to-table operation, for community by community,” Coy said.

The cafe is run by a staff of just five people but is also supported by volunteers and interns, many of whom come from Colorado State University’s food science and human nutrition program, Coy said. 

Aside from CSU, FoCo Cafe works with a variety of organizations and groups within the community.

The garden space outside the building is run by The Growing Project, where they host their Kids Feeding Kids Summer Breakfast Program, which helps families receive breakfast during the summer, Coy said.

The cafe also works with the Heart of the Rockies Christian Church, which provides much of the produce the restaurant uses for their menu. The church also contributes to the cafe’s Kindness Cupboard.

The Kindness Cupboard is filled with nonperishable food for community use and is part of the nonrestaurant side of FoCo Cafe, Coy said. There is also a community-accessible refrigerator on property for produce and perishable food donations.

Additionally, there is The Giving Tree, where members of the community can receive toiletries and clothing in conjunction with a free library.

“You can bring pretty much everything except furniture,” Coy said. 

Future aspirations for FoCo Cafe would be to expand the hours to serve breakfast and lunch, Coy said.

“For our low-income to no-income families coming in, we always have coffee ready for them and a warm place for them to stay in,” Coy said. “People are just eager to get here anyways in the morning, so we would love to be open for breakfast or lunch.”

Coy also mentioned expansion being a possible goal, whether it be a second brick-and-mortar store or, alternatively, a food truck to be able to provide more meals to those who need them.

“A really rewarding thing is when one of our regulars who was experiencing homelessness comes to us and tells us that they finally have a place lined up,” Beasley said. “They thank us for the help we were able to give them. It’s always really heartwarming to hear.”

Reach Samy Gentle at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @samy_gentle_.