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Cafe 180, a donation-based, pay-as-you-go restaurant in Englewood that’s been paying it forward, feeding anyone and everyone, independent of their financial situation, for the past three years, is bringing its charitable philosophies to a kiosk on the 16th Street Mall. Starting today, the kiosk, located near the D&F Clock Tower, at 16th and Arapahoe, will serve box lunches between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
See also: Cafe 180 exec chef Dirk Holmberg on alcoholism, being homeless and finding shelter in the kitchen
The kiosk, funded by a grant from the Daniels Fund, is a partnership with the University of Colorado School of Medicine’s Haven and Peer I treatment programs, and will be staffed by people participating in the program, says Cafe 180 development director Amy Arnold. “The partnership has created a catering training program that will help individuals develop self-sufficiency through vocational training and job experience, and those same people will be making and serving the food,” she notes, adding that while the brick-and-mortar is donation based, the kiosk will implement flat-fee pricing. “People often volunteer at our brick-and-mortar cafe in Englewood in exchange for their meal. At the kiosk, there’s nowhere to really volunteer, so we went with a ‘flat fee’ model, and the kiosk’s sales will provide financial support for the cafe, ensuring that we can continue to serve healthy, tasty meals to all,” adds Arnold.
The box lunches, which include a sandwich wrap, an organic green salad, fruit, a bag of Boulder Canyon chips and a freshly baked cookie, are $10. In addition, the kiosk will feature hot daily soup specials, along with drinks for just a dollar. “Each box lunch sold at our new kiosk benefits the mission of Cafe 180 and the University of Colorado’s culinary training program supported by the Daniels Fund, so while it’s a bit different than the way our full restaurant works, it’s still very much a part of achieving our critical mission,” stresses Arnold.
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