Cafe Gratitude Closes Its Doors

Vegansaurus, popular online zine for West Coast vegans, as well as the SFIst have both reported some news that has non-meat eaters reeling. Bohemian restaurant Cafe Gratitude is closing its doors─but not without generating quite a bit of talk regarding the matter. Cafe Gratitude’s website states:

“With great sadness we are announcing the upcoming closing/sale of all Northern California Café Gratitudes [sic].

A series of aggressive lawsuits has brought us to this unfortunate choice. Although we believe that we have done nothing wrong and our policies are completely legal, it will cost us too much money to defend them in court.  Despite telling the attorneys that brought the lawsuits that the current structure and resources of Café Gratitude are insufficient to sustain and defend our community, they have refused to give up and are forcing us to close.”

But where will people get their dairy-free shakes and daily doses of love? Many higher up employees found out about the news from the SFist write-up. Since, both SFist and Vegansaurus have been following the updates and have had the opportunity to speak to some of the past and present employees, as well as those filing the lawsuits. As it turns out, the Cafe may not have been so grateful after all.

Steve Sommers of Kumin Sommers LLC, who filed the two lawsuits, told Vegansaurus the suits “mainly concern [Cafe Gratitude's] tip-pooling practice,” which is described as follows:

“Every penny generated in tips and sales goes into the same pool of money. At the end of the day, they tabulate how much they should have earned from food sales, and they remove that amount from the pool— this, says Sommers, is called ‘breakage,’ and it ‘shoulders the risk of the business onto the employees,’ and is illegal. Next, they take 20 percent from the remaining money and send it to the central kitchen. Finally, they divide the remaining money among all the employees, from the managers to the janitors. Sommers says that one of his clients, Sara Stevens, would collect $200 in tips per night and only pocket $40. She is suing for between $80,000 and $85,000 in lost tips, and missed fuel and rest breaks.”

Ouch. Sort of an ironic situation for a restaurant boasting menu items such as ”I Am Fulfilled” or “I Am Grounded.”

Additionally, Gracias Madre, Cafe Gratitude’s vegan Mexican food restaurant on Mission Street, will close too, SFist reported after speaking with Shandra Gilbert, Gratitude’s Director of Operations.

Follow the news as it unfolds by visiting Vegansaurus and SFist. Meanwhile, perhaps its time to do a little wholesome vegan cooking at home if you live near these feuding locales.

Cookin’ on the Road—Diamond Lil—a Sustainable and Convenient Restaurant

Take a beaten down, old 1957 Greyhound bus, hundreds of pounds of food and restaurateur Kai Schoenhals and what do you get? Diamond Lil—the refurbished and shaped up moving restaurant. Diamond Lil is a tasty moving eatery that will travel around the region to its guests granting them savory pleasure and convenient locations.

The operation was inspired by the Napa Wine Train, a two engine 3 kitchen fitted train that serves a 25 mile stretch in Napa Valley. They provide convenience, a seasonal menu and a nationally known executive chef, Kelly Macdonald on board.

San Francisco residents Schoenhals and partner Daniel Isberg run a sustainable operation on the road. Although this moving food venture may seem pricey and anything but sustainable, Diamond Lil cuts her own costs and carbon footprint by using left over cooking oil used in her gasoline tank—allowing her to cook her way across the country. The bus, named after a great aunt of Schoenhals is refit entirely with recycled materials, a recyclable herself and not to mention is the house for a warm and delicious menu.

Local Californians that are lucky enough to dine on Diamond Lil can look forward to not only a wonderful menu but a responsible outfit that has considered its customers and the environment.