Everybody Eats - A Movement

In this episode, Renee talks with Jeff and Julie Williams, co-founders of Taste Project in Fort Worth, Texas — one of the largest and most distinctive community cafes in the country. With a full-service, sit-down restaurant model and an ACF-accredited culinary apprenticeship program, Taste Project is doing things a little differently in the pay-what-you-can world.

Jeff shares how a persistent calling led him to open Taste Project i...

Renee talks with Jenny Knowlton, the Executive Director and Founder of the Quiltmaker Cafe in Pittsboro, North Carolina. Named after the beloved children’s book The Quiltmaker’s Gift, the cafe is a testament to the power of patience and community persistence.

Jenny shares the candid reality of a five-year journey to find a brick-and-mortar home. Despite many obstacles, Jenny didn't just wait; she spent years building a "tapestry" o...

In this episode, Renee is joined by her colleague and close friend, Elena Dalton, the Executive Director of Farm Cafe. Elena shares her journey from a vision-board-planning applicant to leading the organization through some transformative years.

The heart of this conversation explores the "expert generalist" nature of nonprofit leadership and the unique, successful succession plan that kept Renee involved in the cafe mission while ...

Host Renee Boughman sits down with Rev. Laura Evans Mahn, founder and executive director of NEST Cafe (Nourish Everyone Sustainably Together), a pay-what-you-can cafe in Rock Island, Illinois, serving the Quad Cities.

Laura and Renee dig into what it takes to establish a mission-driven cafe, why so many of these spaces are led by women, and what critics get wrong about “feel-good” solutions to hunger.

Rev. Laura Evans Mahn is the f...

In the studio with Renee is Marcus Gupton, a long-time volunteer and staff member of Farm Cafe in Boone, North Carolina. Marcus shares his journey through homelessness, describing it as “the collapse of your entire outer reality,” and explains how Farm Cafe became both a refuge and a community for him.

Together, Renee and Marcus explore the transformative power of human connection in a pay-what-you-can café, where people from all w...

In this episode, host Renee Boughman welcomes Libby Birky, co-founder of SAME Cafe in Denver, for a deep dive into the philosophy and practicalities behind community cafes. Libby shares her journey from running one of the nation’s first nonprofit, pay-what-you-can cafe to mentoring new cafes across the country, emphasizing the importance of dignity, authentic relationships, and community participation over transactional models. The...

In this episode Renee welcomes Maggie Kane, founder of "A Place at the Table" in Raleigh, NC, for a candid conversation about the joys and challenges of running a community cafe. Maggie shares her journey from nonprofit work to managing a pay-what-you-can restaurant, reflecting on the unexpected complexities of combining food service with a mission to serve everyone with dignity. Together, they discuss the daily moments that make t...

In this episode, host Renee Boughman sits down with Christie Melby-Gibbons, executive director of Tricklebee Cafe in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Christie shares the story behind the café’s whimsical name, her fierce commitment to vegan cuisine, and why Tricklebee chose to open its doors in a neighborhood often overlooked.

Rev. Christie Melby-Gibbons is the Executive Director of Tricklebee Cafe, Milwaukee’s first pay-what-you-can co...

Welcome to the first episode of Everybody Eats - A Movement, a podcast that explores the intersection of good food and social change. Join host Renee Boughman, a former fine dining chef turned nonprofit leader, as she dives into the inspiring story of Community Cafes where everyone is welcome, and meals are served with dignity, regardless of ability to pay. Discover how a simple question - "Why isn't quality food available to every...