The sounds of sizzling veggies radiated from the kitchen at the Acorn Community Café, a vegan brunch and dinner spot near Monroe and 7th Alley. At the front of house, free meal orders hung on display, ready to be redeemed.
Since Acorn opened in 2021, it has used a “Pay it Forward” model—rather than asking paying customers for tips, the café encourages them to donate towards meal vouchers which anyone can walk in and use.
“We decided to take a risk and try and combine our love of the restaurant industry with our desire to make sure that everyone who lives in our area has enough to eat,” said café co-owner Miranda McKeever. “It’s a lofty goal, but we’re chipping away at it.”…