Knead Cafe outreach model catches on in other states; pay-as-you-can network being created
Michael Phillips came upon Knead Community Cafe in New Kensington by accident.
An Arnold native, he was visiting his hometown in the fall of 2023 and stumbled across Knead. The pay-what-you-can restaurant was closed, but owner Kevin Bode saw Phillips scoping out the place via his security cameras.
Bode came outside to ask Phillips if he needed anything, and that struck up a two-hour conversation about Knead and a similar pay-what-you-can cafe in Phillips’ current home of Greenfield, Mass., called Stone Soup.
“It’s helped us to know there’s other people doing this,” said Phillips, 62, a board member of Stone Soup Cafe. “Knead has done an amazing job connecting with the community.”
Phillips, a 1980 Valley High School graduate, estimates about 145 pay-what-you-can restaurant models exist nationwide, and they all do things a bit differently.
“Every cafe kind of tweaks the model based on what works and fits for the community,” said Bode, who opened Knead Cafe on Barnes Street in February 2017. “I do think this model can be replicated and done more across the country.
“There’s something about sharing a meal with somebody that is special. People like helping people feed people.”
Conversations between Knead and Stone Soup management sparked a new initiative at the Massachusetts cafe.
“We were inspired by how Kevin and Mary Bode and the team at the Knead Cafe work with local businesses, families, churches and other organizations to sponsor meals and events,” said Jansyn Thaw, development director with Stone Soup. “We realized we could lean into that model in Greenfield — and it’s already having an impact.”
Stone Soup expanded its own sponsorship opportunities, inviting community members and organizations to directly support meals and events with donations and staffing those events with volunteers, Phillips said.
“It works. It immediately started working for us,” Phillips said.
Bode acknowledges that a pay-what-you-can restaurant can’t succeed without the support of a community.
He estimated Knead has served more than 100,000 meals since it opened.
“We’ve been fortunate to have people be so supportive,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s a Western Pennsylvania thing, but people really like to give back to the community.”
Phillips said community support for a pay-what-you-can model is a “beautiful example of mutual aid.” When places provide food, they alleviate the pain of food insecurity and other community health benefits are realized, he said.
“We are learning from each other and growing stronger together. Seeing two communities I care about connecting in the interest of serving others is powerful stuff,” Phillips said. “The Knead Cafe has become a hub for the community and has helped bring New Kensington back to life.”
Bode agreed that, since Knead opened, there have been improvements to Downtown New Kensington.
“If you walk downtown New Kensington today, it’s very different than what you’d see nine, 10 years ago,” he said. “I’m hoping in some way we were a spark to some of that.”
Said Phillips: “With New Ken, it’s very visible. When I grew up, downtown New Kensington was booming, and then things really changed. I remember driving down there not too long ago and everything was boarded up.
“You have seen the difference since Knead and other places have opened up. It’s a healthy environment now, and Knead had a lot to do with that.”
Bode noted that starting and operating a pay-what-you-can cafe can be difficult: He recalled gauging community support for Knead before he decided to move forward with opening it.
Interested parties have to be dedicated to making it work, he said. He recalled getting advice from One Bistro in Xenia, Ohio.
“There’s something about the model and wanting to help people,” Bode said. “You form a natural bond.”
Phillips said Stone Soup is launching a national effort to connect pay-what-you-can cafes by documenting and sharing their stories.
The project would capture success stories, strategies and operations of more than 20 mutual aid cafes across the East Coast and the Midwest, creating a platform with videos, training resources and tools to foster collaboration among the pay-what-you-can movement.
“We learn something from every cafe we talk to,” Bode said.
Phillips hopes that can continue the relationship between Knead and Stone Soup.
“Our hope is we will continue to work with them over the years and find more ways to support each other,” Phillips said. “The crew there is amazing. We’re really honored to work with them.”
Kellen Stepler is a TribLive reporter covering the Allegheny Valley and Burrell school districts and surrounding areas. He joined the Trib in April 2023. He can be reached at kstepler@triblive.com.
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