You pay what you can at the new EAT Cafe in West Philadelphia
Four nights a week for now, the restaurant will feed the West Philadelphia community.
Many Philadelphians cannot afford a quality meal.
West Philadelphia's EAT Cafe, premiering Oct. 26 in a rowhouse at 3820 Lancaster Ave. (267-292-2768), is designed to address that issue.
Four evenings a week, EAT will offer tasty, nutritious dinners. When the check comes, patrons may pay whatever they wish.
EAT - which stands for Everyone at the Table - is a partnership among a collection of groups including Drexel's Center for Hunger-Free Communities, Drexel's Center for Hospitality & Sport Management, and the Vetri Community Partnership.
Menu is simple. On its first day at the 11 a.m. ribbon-cutting, a breakfast buffet will be offered, but its regular service is dinner, 4:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday. Organizers hope to serve 150 people a day and expand to Sunday dinners.
The initial menu, which has a suggested tab of $15 per person, includes a choice of minestrone or Caprese chop & toss salad; an entree of pasta Bolognese, roasted chicken with lemon caper sauce, or vegetarian pasta primavera; and for dessert, cookies and cream cheesecake squares or lemon sorbet with fruit.
Giant Food will donate produce and Metropolitan Bakery will donate desserts.
Jones-Craven said he hoped that many better-off guests would pay extra to help cover those who pay less.
The 40-seater was designed by Michael Gruber Design.
EAT is one of two civic-minded restaurants opening this fall. In November, Rooster Soup Company, which promises to donate profits to the Broad Street Ministry, is being built out at 1526 Sansom St. Rooster is backed by Federal Donuts.