Cash or Community Service? A New Kind of Payment at Fork Real Cafe
When it comes to paying your bill at Fork Real Cafe in Rapid City, S.D. you pay what you can. Guests at this restaurant are given the choice between cash, card, paying it forward or even community service.
Rhonda Pearcy is the founder and executive director at Fork Real Cafe and says, “God called me to take my love of food and people and put it into action.” Located in downtown Rapid City, this restaurant is the only pay-what-you-can cafe in the state of South Dakota.
The concept is modeled after an organization which has a network of over 60 cafes operating throughout the United States, One World Everybody Eats.
Ideally, those who don’t have enough money to pay for a meal can still eat. In return, they offer their time as a volunteer for community projects. On the other hand, those who have more than their share of money can offer to pay-it-forward -- paying more than their bill and offering some financial relief to those in tough situations.
“Rapid City needed a place to bring people from all walks of life together through food.”
In addition to being a pay-what-you-can cafe, Fork Real prides itself on providing a “welcoming environment and fresh farm-to-table meals dedicated to real people, real food and real conversations,” according to Rhonda.
Functioning as a volunteer, non-profit business, Fork Real Cafe has had its share of challenges. Rhonda shares, “The challenge is that volunteers have a life like you and me, so they are not obligated to come in every day.” That being said though, Rhonda says the community support has been phenomenal.
When COVID-19 hit the area and the state mandated closing dining-room lobbies, Fork Real didn’t stop serving their community. Adapting to a new normal, Rhonda and her team worked through the challenge to get meals to those who needed it.
Rhonda says, “COVID-19 has been a whirlwind of a season as more people in need come to the cafe, while paying guests stayed home, but we continued to do what we do, feed all people no matter what.”
Closing their dining facility, the restaurant began offering meal prep services with curbside pickup. “We also provided family meals for three nights at no charge for those referred to us by local supporting organizations,” Rhonda adds.
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