This Fort Collins Restaurant is Entirely Pay-What-You-Can

I'm always on the hunt for unique dining experiences, and who doesn't love one that makes everyone feel good at the same time?

FoCo Cafe is Fort Collins' first nonprofit restaurant. They focus entirely on building community and providing meals to the people of Fort Collins. Their unique value? It doesn't matter what your ability to pay is.

The entire restaurant goes by a pay-what-you-can system. There's a donation box inside the restaurant where you pay what you feel lead or able to and sit down to enjoy some food.

FoCo Cafe started on Thanksgiving Day in 2014 when co-owners Jeff and Kathleen Baumgardner volunteered at SAME Cafe in Denver and realized the need for a similar service in Fort Collins.

Their menu is made primarily from fresh and locally grown ingredients that are funded by the donations the restaurant receives. If you are interested in donating, there are several outlets and resources on the cafe's website for what they need and where you can go to give.

They've made it clear that their values lie in the idea of community. They value community participation, mutual respect and value for each other, and helping each other when everyone inevitably needs a hand-up at some point.

According to FoCo Cafe's website, they only have five paid employees in the entire establishment. The rest of the operation is volunteer ran. If you are unable to pay for your meal, the system in place allows you to cover it by cleaning a few dishes or assisting around the restaurant in exchange.

Each volunteer is also granted a free meal for each shift.

FoCo Cafe is open between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday with pick-up and takeaway meals available during the same time period.