Café Gratitude
Cafe Gratitude is a small West Coast chain of restaurants serving organic, plant-based (vegan), and often locally-grown food, founded by Terces and Matthew Engelhart. As of 2024, there are two operating Café Gratitude locations, both in Los Angeles: one in Venice and the other in Larchmont Village.[1] A separately-owned location exists in Kansas City, Missouri. [2][3][4][5] Menu items feature such names as "I am Beautiful" and "I am Dazzling", with options ranging from appetizers, soups and salads, to entrées, brunch specials, sandwiches, veggie bowls and desserts.[6] Many items are prepared with meat-free alternatives, such as crispy, smoked coconut or potato strips (as "bacon"), mushroom "carnitas", or crumbled tempeh "ground beef".[6] In addition to their largely plant-based cuisine, some select dishes and menu items include honey—a natural product made by honeybees.
Café Gratitude maintained a presence in the San Francisco Bay Area for over a decade, but closed its last location there in 2015.[7][2] That same year, the company opened a new location, at the opposite end of the state, in San Diego's historic Little Italy neighborhood. Located just northwest of the Gaslamp Quarter and downtown city center, the San Diego location closed its doors after seven successful years in the community, in 2023.[6]
Owners
[edit]Except for the Kansas City location, Cafe Gratitude is majority owned and managed by Love Serve Remember, LLC.[8] The Kansas City location is owned and operated by Michael George.[9]
Philosophy
[edit]Cafe Gratitude is said to be managed according to the principles of Sacred Commerce,[10] as outlined in a book of the same name by Matthew and Terces Engelhart. This claims to integrate the intention and philosophy of dharma – right actions, right intentions, right speech – as a way of being connected to spirit.[11]
Controversies
[edit]Landmark Education
[edit]In 2009, the East Bay Express reported on Cafe Gratitude's policy of strongly encouraging employees to attend Landmark Education's introductory "Landmark Forum". Employees described being denied promotion due to discomfort or disinterest in the intensive seminar, and one former manager was forced to step down and later fired after speaking critically of Café Gratitude's embrace of the Landmark program. Café Gratitude paid half the $500 cost of the course for employees who chose to attend. [12]
Meat consumption by founders
[edit]In 2016, Terces and Matthew Engelhart received a heated backlash after the vegan community learned that they chose to raise, slaughter, and consume cattle on their private farm, which supplied much of Café Gratitude's produce.[13][14] The Engelharts themselves declined an interview request, but Cary Mosier, Terces Engelhart's son and Cafe Gratitude's chief operating officer, said the feud against Cafe Gratitude has unfairly cast his mother and stepfather as deceptive animal killers.[15]
Bad labor practices
[edit]In November 2021, long-time workers at the Santa Cruz location (now re-branded as cafegSC[16]) accused the newly hired general manager of hoarding the best shifts for himself and his friends. When the workers brought this up to the owner and asked that the manager in question be demoted, the workers were fired instead. The former employees tried to negotiate, and ended up calling for a boycott after fruitless requests to negotiate with the owner.[17][18] This location eventually closed in October 2023.[19]
History
[edit]Cafe Gratitude started as a small chain of organic plant based restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area, one in Berkeley and another in Santa Cruz.[20][5] Michael George opened a Kansas City location in 2012.[9]
Previous locations also included Newport Beach, Beverly Hills, San Francisco, San Rafael, Healdsburg, and inside the Oakland and Cupertino Whole Foods. The Northern California locations closed following a lawsuit filed by employees alleging improper tip pooling, wage theft, and labor misclassification.[21][22] A Facebook posting from the Engelharts claimed that their position was "completely legal" but that defending them in court would be too expensive, calling the process "legalized extortion".[23] The company was able to settle out of court in early 2012, under an arrangement that allowed two Northern California restaurants to remain operational. In 2014, Matthew and Terces Englehart closed Cafe Gratitude, at Harrison and 20th streets, San Francisco.[24] The remaining Berkeley location closed in 2015.[2][25]
In late 2009, Matthew and Terces Englehart opened Gracias Madre, at 2211 Mission Street, San Francisco, shutting down 28 August 2023.[24]
As of 2023, three locations remain in Southern California.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Café Gratitude locations". 3 November 2024.
- ^ a b c Barman, Jay (2015-11-13). "Cafe Gratitude Closing Its Last Bay Area Location In Berkeley". SFist. Archived from the original on 2019-03-31. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
- ^ "Locations–Cafe Gratitude". Retrieved 2021-10-20.
- ^ "Cafe Gratitude Kansas City". Retrieved 2020-01-29.
- ^ a b Schoeneman, Deborah (20 July 2011). "Power Lunch With a Side of Homilies". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
- ^ a b c Woo, Candice (18 January 2023). "Vegan Restaurant Café Gratitude Closes in Little Italy; The Kettner Boulevard location shutters after more than seven years in the space". San Diego Eater.
- ^ Fletcher, Ethan (June 22, 2016). "Sicilian restaurant planned for Cafe Gratitude space in North Berkeley". SFGate. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
- ^ "Apply for a Trademark. Search a Trademark". trademarkia.com. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
- ^ a b "Michael George - Owner". Retrieved 2020-01-29.
- ^ Bronner, Sasha (2013-11-25). "These Restaurateurs Found Their Path (And Huge Success) By Creating A Cult Of Gratitude". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
- ^ "Sacred Commerce Introduction - Dharma Merchant Services". Dharma Merchant Services. 2010-12-28. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
- ^ Levin, Sam (2009-07-09). "I am Annoyed and Disappointed". East Bay Express. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
- ^ Gibbs, Robina (2016-05-03). "Famous California vegan restaurateurs under fire over revelation they eat meat". The Guardian. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
- ^ Pellissier, Hank (2011-04-23). "A Taste of Café Gratitude and Be Love Farm". The New York Times. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
- ^ "Return to meat by Cafe Gratitude owners sparks vegan uproar". Los Angeles Daily News. Associated Press. 2016-05-07. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
- ^ "Home". cafe-gsc. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- ^ "Gratitude questioned: Owner, workers clash at longtime Santa Cruz vegan cafe rooted in mindfulness". Lookout Santa Cruz. 2021-11-10. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- ^ "Cafe Gratitude update: Reduced hours, jobs not restored". Lookout Santa Cruz. 2021-11-18. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- ^ Belli, Lily (2023-10-31). "Vegan-friendly downtown Santa Cruz restaurant Cafe GSC closes amid financial struggles". Lookout Santa Cruz. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ Parker, Ann (2007-06-26). "Cafe Gratitude: a New Restaurant Concept and Brainchild of Two Landmark Education Graduates". Landmark Forum News. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
- ^ Wilkey, Robin (29 November 2011). "NO THANK YOU: Employee Lawsuits Lead Beloved Restaurants To Close". Huffington Post.
- ^ Barmann, Jay (2011-11-29). "A New Side of the Café Gratitude Closure Story, and Their Potentially Shady 'Sacred Commerce'". GrubStreet. Retrieved 2020-05-02.
- ^ Lucchesi, Paolo (2011-11-29). "Cafe Gratitude selling all Bay Area outposts (including Gracias Madre), in what they dub "legalized extortion"". SFist. Retrieved 2020-05-02.
- ^ a b Chávez, Lydia (28 August 2023). "Mexican restaurant Gracias Madre says 'adios' to San Francisco". Mission Local. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- ^ Barmann, Jay (2012-01-10). "Café Gratitude Settles Out of Court With Former Employees, Won't Close All NorCal Locations". Grubstreet. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
