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What is Love Café?

Love Café is a nonprofit, pay-what-you-can restaurant with a job skills training program operated by Love In the Name of Christ of Muskegon County. We believe all people deserve to dine with dignity, despite their ability to pay for a meal.

Our Vision

We envision a space where people from all walks of life are served with more than a meal. We desire to create a restaurant where everyone eats, and everyone belongs.

How it Works

  1. Pay-What-You-Can Model
    Everyone is welcome to enjoy a meal, regardless of their ability to pay.
  2. Volunteer-Driven
    Our café is powered by the dedication and passion of volunteers who help create a welcoming space.
  3. Job-Skills Training
    We provide hands-on opportunities for individuals to gain valuable skills and experience.

Our Mission

  • To make nutritious and delicious meals with exceptional service available to all people.
  • To be a social entrepreneurship, a place for the community to dine with a purpose.
  • To provide paid opportunities for our Neighbors interested in careers in hospitality or culinary arts to receive training and certifications so that they can find meaningful employment.
  • To be transformative, fostering community and growth and honoring Christ in everything we do.

FAQs

How does Love Café fit into Love INC of Muskegon’s mission?

Love INC’s mission is to “Mobilize churches to transform lives and communities In the Name of Christ.”  This mission plays out in many different ways at each Love INC around the country. Here are a few reasons why opening a restaurant that utilizes a pay-what-you-can model strengthens our mission:

1. Love Café’s training and internship program equips Neighbors for meaningful employment in the hospitality and restaurant management sectors.

2. Love Café mobilizes church volunteers to serve our community with excellent food that is accessible to all.

3. Love Café connects Love INC with new donors and provides a new face in the community.

4. Love Café communicates our programs and services to Neighbors in Need as they dine at the restaurant.

5. Love Café recruits volunteers from our churches to work in the restaurant with the potential for them to transition into serving the rest of our ministry, including at Love it Again Resale Store and the Love INC office.

6. Love Café’s space is utilized in the evenings for church functions, Bible studies, creative outreach, community events, etc.

7. Love Café functions as a space for community and prayer.

We are opening the restaurant because we believe it will make Love INC stronger and more capable of fulfilling our mission to mobilize local churches to transform Muskegon County lives In the Name of Christ.

What is a pay-what-you-can model?

Our guests will experience a restaurant that is very familiar to them: They will be greeted by a host, seated at a table, offered beverages and a menu, will place an order and receive their food. The menu will not display prices.  When the check comes, it will list each item that was ordered with a blank line next to it where the guest can fill in how much they will be paying. Three options will be presented:


1. Pay more than what you would normally pay and we will use it to help Neighbors in Need here in Muskegon County.

2. Pay what you would normally pay for this meal at any other restaurant.

3. Pay what you can, even if it’s nothing at all.

What if no one pays for their food?

Short answer: we will close. The reality is that sponsorships, donations, and tightly controlled costs will be required for us to make this restaurant a success. We will need some of our guests to be generous. If we are inundated with people who refuse to pay anything at all then we will serve as many as we can for as long as we can and then we will close. Does this mean failure? No. We feel God has led us to open this restaurant, but we don’t know for how long. Our expectation, however, is that Love Café will continue to thrive and not only be self-sustaining, but will provide revenue to further fuel our continued growth. Want to make sure Love Café keeps going? Donate here!

Got more questions? Click here to check out our full list of FAQs!