What CAFE 180 does

CAFE 180 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit restaurant operating in Englewood, Colorado under parent organization One Good Turn and led by CEO Sarah Lesyinski. Founded in 2010, the organization runs a pay-what-you-can restaurant supplemented by a catering business, event-space rentals, and a free community-meal program; since inception it has served more than 200,000 meals, including over 150,000 free meals to food-insecure individuals and 200+ meals delivered weekly to community partners. Its mission-driven model is supported by more than 100,000 cumulative volunteer hours, recurring corporate partners such as Footers Catering, and annual fundraising events including the Big Eat, Colorado Gives Day, and the Free Thanksgiving Meal in its 15th year.

The organization's operational technology stack is composed entirely of third-party SaaS tools rather than proprietary systems: ToastTab handles online catering ordering (launched April 2025), Point App manages volunteers, Zeffy supports ticketing, and Colorado Gives Day processes donations. Programmatic delivery is structured around three channels: dine-in/community restaurant service, a catering operation supporting events of 5 to 500 guests, and the CAFE 180 @ Home initiative, which currently serves 43 families weekly with direct household meal delivery.

CAFE 180's revenue mechanics blend paid and contributed income. Cash revenue is generated through pay-what-you-can restaurant sales, paid catering engagements at approximately $10-$12 per meal, and event-space rentals. Contributed revenue and in-kind donations (food, supplies, and volunteer labor) materially supplement cash operations, with no disclosed equity or venture funding and no publicly reported financials given nonprofit status. The go-to-market is primarily local and community-based, anchored in Englewood and the broader Denver metro area, with brand reach extending through local media coverage of its Thanksgiving and community programming.

Name

CAFE 180

Legal name

CAFE 180

Website

https://cafe180.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CAFE 180 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit restaurant in Englewood, Colorado operating a pay-what-you-can model, catering, event-space rentals, and free meal programs that have served 200,000+ meals since 2010, relying on volunteers, donations, and community partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Restaurant and Food Security Services

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Community Food Services (62421), Caterers (722320), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Neighborhood Cafes (THAFADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ), Health & Wellness / Functional Fast Casual (macro-counted, high-protein, allergen-friendly) (THAFABAO), Full-Service Catering (Off-Premise) (HSACAGAA), Specialty & Dietary Catering (Vegan, Kosher, Halal, Allergy-Friendly) (HSACAGAH)

Keywords

• Nonprofit restaurant
• Food security programs
• Community catering
• Volunteer kitchen
• Meal kit delivery

Headquarters

HQ city

Englewood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Sales: Pay-what-you-can restaurant model where customers who can afford to pay contribute to funding free meals for those experiencing food insecurity. All proceeds from meals go directly toward feeding food-insecure individuals.
2. Catering Services: Catering services for events of 5-500 people, with customizable menus. Online ordering available through ToastTab platform. Revenue from catering helps fund free meal programs.
3. Event Space Rental: Rental of cafe space for private events at $100-150 per hour. Event donations help further the mission of ensuring everybody eats.
4. Donations and Fundraising: Accepts monetary donations via website, check, and Colorado Gives Day. Proceeds from special events like CHEFS 180 (ticketed dinners) go directly to supporting food-insecure individuals.
5. In-Kind Donations: Accepts donations of food items (unopened, not expired, in bulk) and household supplies. Specifically looking for items like rice, pasta, canned beans, stocks, cleaning products, and paper goods.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CAFE 180 is a nonprofit pay-what-you-can restaurant where 100% of meal proceeds fund free meals for people experiencing food insecurity. It operates three core food security programs: FULL HEART Meals (free in-cafe dining served with dignity), Community Partner Meals (200+ fresh meals prepared and delivered weekly to partner organizations across Denver Metro), and CAFE 180 @ Home (twice-monthly meal kit delivery to families). Supporting offerings include full-service catering for events of 5-500 people, event space rental, and a community volunteer program.

Product overview

CAFE 180 is a nonprofit restaurant with a pay-what-you-can model where 100% of proceeds support food insecurity programs. The organization operates three core programs: FULL HEART Meals (in-cafe dining with free meals for those in need), CAFE 180 @ Home (meal kit delivery to families), and Community Partner Meals (200+ weekly meals delivered to partner organizations). Supporting offerings include catering services with full online ordering via Toast Tab, space rental for events, and a volunteer program managed through Point App. Founded in 2010, the organization has served over 200,000 meals and been part of the Englewood community for 15 years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dine-In Restaurant Dine-in and take-out restaurant open Monday through Friday in Englewood, Colorado. Serves breakfast (8am-2pm) and lunch (10:30am-2pm) under a pay-what-you-can model where customers who can pay fund meals for those who cannot, and those who cannot pay may volunteer 30 minutes in exchange for a meal. Menu includes breakfast burritos ($6), pastries ($4), salads ($6 half/$12 full), flatbread pizzas ($10), sandwiches/wraps ($8-$12), and soups/chili ($4 cup/$8 bowl).
• FULL HEART Meals Free restaurant-quality meals served in the cafe to anyone experiencing food insecurity or needing extra support. Guests are welcomed with dignity regardless of ability to pay, and meals are served during weekday cafe hours. Part of the FULL HEART program that has helped deliver 150,000+ meals to food-insecure individuals across the Denver Metro area.
• Community Partner Meals CAFE 180 prepares and delivers 200+ fresh meals weekly to trusted community partner organizations including Wellspring, Movement 5280, Giving Heart Englewood, and Gelli's Community Fridge. Partners serve older adults, families, individuals experiencing homelessness, and neighbors facing hardship throughout the Denver Metro area.
• CAFE 180 @ Home FREE meal kit delivery program delivering ingredients twice per month directly to families across the Denver Metro area. Each kit includes pre-portioned proteins, vegetables, grains, and step-by-step recipes for cooking nutritious meals at home. Pick-up is also available at the CAFE 180 location. Designed for families facing transportation, work schedule, childcare, or health barriers.
• Catering Services Full-service catering for events of 5 to 500 people. Menu includes breakfast burritos, sandwiches, wraps, salads, trays, charcuterie, and soups. Fully customizable for any event and budget, accommodating various food allergies and dietary preferences including vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options. Orders placed online via Toast Tab; revenue helps fund free meal programs.
• Event Space Rental Rental of the CAFE 180 space for private events. Space accommodates 50 standing and 30 seated guests. Rate is $100/hour when using CAFE 180 Catering services or $150/hour without. Includes an event manager, central Englewood location with parking, public transit access, and potential tax write-off.
• Volunteer Program Volunteer opportunities for community members to support cafe operations. Volunteers help with kitchen tasks, food preparation, and service. Minimum age 10 to volunteer (14 without parent/guardian). Shifts managed through the Point App platform. Program has logged 100,000+ volunteer hours, equivalent to over 11 years of continuous service.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200,000+ total meals served since 2010
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Denver Performing Arts ComplexminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 November 2025Venue for The Big Eat event, Colorado's biggest celebration of local restaurants. CAFE 180 participates in this event to raise visibility and support.
• Footers CateringminorOthers · 28 November 2024Catering partner that provided the free Thanksgiving meal at CAFE 180 for the 14th Annual Free Thanksgiving Meal event.
• One Good TurncoreOthersOne Good Turn is the parent organization to CAFE 180 and two other social enterprises throughout the Denver Metro Area. CAFE 180 is a registered 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization under this parent entity.
• Community Partner OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrusted community organizations receiving weekly meal deliveries. Partners serve older adults, families, individuals experiencing homelessness, and neighbors facing hardship throughout Denver Metro. Includes Wellspring, Movement 5280, Giving Heart Englewood, and Gelli's Community Fridge.
• Englewood GrandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNeighbor business that created and sponsored a custom cocktail for the CHEFS 180 fundraising event.
• Carboy WineryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWine sponsor for the CHEFS 180 fundraising event featuring Chef Dana Rodriguez.
• Colorado Gives Day / coloradogives.orgcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual statewide movement to increase online giving. CAFE 180 participates to receive donations supporting free meal programs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• We Don't Waste: Denver-based nonprofit recovering surplus food and distributing it to communities in need. Operates adjacent to CAFE 180's mission of redirecting food to food-insecure populations in the same metro.
• Denver Food Rescue: Denver nonprofit that rescues surplus food and delivers it free to community partners. Operates in the same Denver Metro food-security ecosystem as CAFE 180, with overlapping community-partner relationships.

Direct peers

• SAME Café: Denver-based nonprofit cafe operating on a pay-what-you-can model since 2006, providing healthy meals to the community regardless of ability to pay. Closest direct analogue to CAFE 180 in mission, model, and geography.
• Project Angel Heart: Denver-based nonprofit that prepares and delivers medically tailored meals to individuals living with severe illnesses. Comparable in mission (food-as-support, home delivery) and in Denver Metro geography, though serving a narrower beneficiary segment.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National hunger-relief network and the largest U.S. domestic hunger-relief organization. Addresses the same underlying problem as CAFE 180 but at massive scale and through a traditional food-bank distribution model.
• Food Bank of the Rockies: Regional hunger-relief organization serving Colorado and Wyoming; addresses the same food-insecurity problem CAFE 180 targets but at much larger scale and via traditional food-bank/pantry model rather than a restaurant.

Regional players

• Eat Denver: Denver-based nonprofit representing independent local restaurants and producers (organizer of The Big Eat, an event CAFE 180 participates in). Comparable as a Denver food-community peer though focused on industry advocacy rather than direct food assistance.

Others

• One Good Turn: Parent nonprofit organization of CAFE 180, operating additional Denver Metro social enterprises. Most directly comparable as a sister/cooperating entity rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cafe-180

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CAFE 180