Sofia Raikow

The serving counter at FoCo Cafe has chalk-written menus hanging from the ceiling, a mug wall, a sign with “community needs,” a calendar and a full kitchen behind it, with staff cleaning up for the day Aug. 29. FoCo Cafe allows customers who don’t have a means to pay for their food with money to complete chores and tasks in return for a meal.

Gracie Douglas, Staff Reporter

Inside FoCo Cafe, a restaurant in downtown Fort Collins, sits a donation box in place of a cash register. It is a nonprofit organization that serves under the acronym and motto, “Feeding Our Community Ourselves,” working to ensure everyone is afforded dignity and nutrition whenever they need it.

“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,” its website reads.

FoCo Cafe opens up its doors to anyone for lunch service, regardless of whether or not they are able to pay monetarily. Guests can make a donation of any amount for their meal, or participate in FoCo Cafe’s unique meal exchange program, where they can exchange a chore for their food.

Fort Collins community member Dean Cirian wears red-tinted sunglasses and stands on the balcony of FoCo Cafe, posing for a photo with a plate and water bottle in hand as he’s cleaning up his meal he enjoyed with his old friend in Old Town Aug. 29. FoCo Cafe serves meals to community members, even if they don’t want to pay for it monetarily because they can do chores around the cafe instead. “We’re just friends and we came over here to sit down and have some lunch,” Cirian said. (Collegian | Sofia Raikow)

“Typical chores that people do are sweeping the floor here in the dining room, taking out a bag of garbage to our garbage enclosure or cleaning off the front door with fingerprints,” said Mark Betz, assistant director at FoCo Cafe. “The idea is that people place their order, they do a chore and then by the time they’re done with their chore, their food is ready.”
“(The founders) envisioned a place of inclusivity where everybody and anybody could enjoy a delicious, nutritious meal, regardless of their ability to pay.” –Mark Betz, FoCo Cafe assistant director
Though, Betz wants to make something clear: FoCo Cafe does not hand out free meals.

“Sometimes people say, ‘Oh, yes, I’m here for a free meal,’ and we really don’t like that viewpoint because we feel that everybody’s making a contribution for their meal, whether it’s financial or of their time and talent,” Betz said. “Sometimes people may not think that taking out a bag of garbage amounts to much, but it’s something that needs to happen anyway and that needs to be done.”

Volunteer Bo Darrah serves a bowl of soup and cornbread, placing it on the counter for a customer to pick up at FoCo Cafe in Old Town Aug. 29. FoCo Cafe is a nonprofit that serves meals to members of the community in return for completing chores. (Collegian | Sofia Raikow)

In addition to the meal exchange system, patrons can also make a contribution by completing a volunteer shift for which they can also receive a meal. Aside from four to five employees, depending on the time of year, FoCo Cafe is completely volunteer-driven.

“There’s so much that we hear about going on globally and also locally that can feel overwhelming and instill a sense of, like, ‘Well, what can I do as an individual,’ right?” said Keiko Friar, a FoCo Cafe volunteer, as she chopped pears in preparation for lunch service. “But putting my actions in line with my values and showing up in spaces like this and, you know, doing that service really helps with that and also reconnects me to what is in my immediate environment.”

One of FoCo Cafe’s primary missions is to respond to a lack of resources for those who may be struggling financially in the Fort Collins area.

“Colorado holds a lot of appeal for a lot of people, and it’s becoming increasingly obvious that there are a number of people who have income and/or housing challenges, and who are sidelined, ostracized (or) having difficulty accessing a lot of the resources that many of us take for granted on a daily basis,” Betz said. “The FoCo Cafe is a really crucial, valuable resource, not just for daily nutrition but also as a place (for) inclusivity and where everybody and anybody is welcome.”

Many volunteers also see a need for a space like this in Fort Collins.

Fort Collins community members Elizabeth and Jonathan Lok sit at a table and have a conversation after eating a meal together in FoCo Cafe, which is decorated with plants, art and vases of flowers Aug. 29. FoCo Cafe is a nonprofit cafe that feeds customers by offering optional chores or accepting donations as payment for meals rather. “We’ve been here before,” Elizabeth Lok said. “We’ve brought our boys here to volunteer.” (Collegian | Sofia Raikow)

“Quite frankly, like, the state level and federal government level has not provided the quality and amount of support that is needed on a day-to-day basis just to have quality of life for everybody,” Friar said. “And especially nowadays, I think it’s easy to get out of touch with what is in our power.”

FoCo Cafe was founded in 2014 by Kathleen and Jeff Baumgardner, inspired by SAME Café, a restaurant with a similar model and mission in Denver.

“(The founders) envisioned a place of inclusivity where everybody and anybody could enjoy a delicious, nutritious meal, regardless of their ability to pay,” Betz said.

A framed bulletin board displays “thank you” notes and drawings created by members of the community, showing their appreciation to FoCo Cafe for providing food to customers who don’t have the means to pay for their meal Aug. 29. (Collegian | Sofia Raikow)

Eleven years of service to the Fort Collins community, however, has not come without struggle. Like most nonprofit organizations, FoCo Cafe has faced financial instability and difficulties staffing, along with the uncertainty that came from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“After more than 10 years of serving our community, we’re facing an unprecedented funding gap that threatened our ability to keep our doors open and our dedicated staff paid,” the homepage of its website reads.

As of Sept. 3, however, they’ve raised $59,750 of their $100,000 goal. Donations can be made online, in person or by mail.

Members of the Fort Collins community and beyond have contributed to ensuring FoCo Cafe can continue to serve residents.

Fort Collins community member Danue Laborde wraps silverware with napkins at FoCo Cafe while volunteering for the nonprofit, which she does every Friday afternoon in Old Town Aug. 29. FoCo Cafe has a distinct service model that provides meals to customers in exchange for chores or tasks if they don’t have the means to pay for their food. “It’s really positive here,” Laborde said. “They encourage you to do a lot of different things.” (Collegian | Sofia Raikow)

“First and foremost, there are many ways to help,” Betz said. “My No. 1 answer would be funding — what kind of monetary donations that people can make, or even simply coming in for lunch and making a payment of some kind is an important contribution for us. However, for people who aren’t able to do that, they can volunteer.”

Volunteers in Fort Collins have shown up for FoCo Cafe in many ways, emphasizing the importance of doing the work to solve issues that surround them.

“Local funding for local solutions is really important; it takes all of us,” Friar said.

Reach Gracie Douglas at life@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.

FoCo Cafe nourishes Fort Collins 1 meal at a time