TOLEDO, Ohio — SAME Café is officially opening next week inside the Main Library in downtown Toledo and will provide individuals opportunities to donate, volunteer and dine in.
The café is a non-profit started about 16 years ago in Denver, Colorado. Now, their second location is opening up in Toledo after owners said it was the right fit for the public setting they envisioned.
The restaurant works around a fair-exchange model, which means anyone can come in and participate. Individuals can also decide to choose among different volunteer opportunities in the full-service restaurant.
SAME stands for "So All May Eat," and Executive Director Cory Wolin said it has been the mission of the non-profit ever since it began.
"At the core of SAME is the ability to make a choice," Wolin said. "Again, the participation-based model allows individuals to choose how they would like to participate at the cafe."
Wolin said someone can participate by volunteering a half hour of time for a meal, making a monetary contribution -- no matter the cost -- or donating home-grown produce.
The café partners with local farms to create a rotating menu consisting of two soups, two salads and two pizzas every day.
Wolin said there's a task open for anyone, including prepping vegetables, washing dishes, rolling silverware and cleaning tables. He said volunteers don't need prior experience, just the willingness to help.
"It's recognizing the inherent value in an individual outside of something that's just monetary," he said.
The Executive Director of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, Jason Kucsma, said he's excited SAME chose Toledo for its second location, adding to the ever-expanding resources the library has.
"We're just excited to invite people into our space," Kucsma said. "You know the library is always a place where people can come and enrich their lives, and SAME Café is the same model for food."
As the grand opening inches closer, Wolin said SAME will be happy to receive any sort of contribution.
"You get to come in and experience a delicious healthy meal and contribute to whatever you find most meaningful," said Wolin.
The Café will have the ribbon cutting on Nov. 4 at 10:30 a.m. in the Main Library. Its operating hours will be Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.