Everybody Eats - A Movement

About Everybody Eats - A Movement

”Everybody Eats: A Movement” is a podcast series hosted by Renee Boughman, former Executive Director & Chef of F.A.R.M. Café in Boone, NC, spotlighting the inspiring work of community cafes—non-profit restaurants serving quality food with dignity to all, regardless of ability to pay—while exploring their role in combating food insecurity and fostering inclusive communities.

Publisher

everybodyeatsamovement

Category

arts · business · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

16 Jul 2025

Latest episode

12 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

16 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   12 Aug 2026

   Everybody Eats: A Movement - Season 3 Episode 6 with Grayson Arthurs formerly from F.A.R.M. Cafe

   Setting the Bar: Grayson Arthurs on Transition, Community, and Finding Safe Spaces Renee welcomes Grayson Arthurs, former Farm Cafe intern and current community engagement coordinator at He, She, Z and We, an LGBTQ+ nonprofit in Richmond, Virginia. What started as a college internship for political science credit became one of the most meaningful experiences of Grayson's life. Now working with trans youth and their families, Grayson draws directly on lessons learned at the cafe: wearing many hats in nonprofit work, navigating diverse communities, and finding creative connectors to bring people together. Throughout, Grayson emphasizes that Farm Cafe set the bar high, teaching what meaningful community work should look like. The cafe showed that safe spaces aren't just about providing meals but about creating room for people to find connection, dignity, and the freedom to just be. Grayson Arthurs is a North Carolina native, turned Virginia transplant. They graduated from Appalachian State in 2021, the same year that they began a summer internship at F.A.R.M. Cafe. In 2023 they left the cafe and Boone for Richmond, Virginia where they now work at He She Ze & We, a nonprofit that supports transgender and nonbinary people and their families. Grayson says that their years at F.A.R.M. Cafe shaped them into the person they are today- a confident and passionate pursuer of authentic community with a deep appreciation for Dukes Mayonnaise (#Renee!).

2. 

   5 Aug 2026

   Everybody Eats: A Movement - Season 3 Episode 5 with Adelle Bergman - Crescent City Cafe

   The journey of Crescent City Cafe - from Pop-Up to Brick-and-Mortar Renee chats with Adelle Bergman, executive director of Crescent City Cafe in New Orleans, on the 20th anniversary of the day she drove into the city with her Honda Accord to do Hurricane Katrina relief work. What started as a one-year commitment became two decades of community building through food. Founded in 2009 by Adelle's friends as a bi-monthly pop-up breakfast in a church basement, Crescent City Cafe created dignified dining experiences for people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity. After learning about the pay-what-you-can model at the 2014 Denver One World Everybody Eats summit, they began the journey toward brick-and-mortar. Now, after navigating zoning challenges, finding the right space on Magazine Street, and educating neighbors about their mission, they're preparing to open a full breakfast and brunch restaurant while continuing their Saturday pop-up cafes. The conversation explores the unique challenges of operating in New Orleans, from brunch alcohol culture to Mardi Gras economics to neighborhood fears about who will be sitting at the table. Adelle shares stories that reveal the cafe's deep impact on volunteers and guests alike.Throughout, she emphasizes that the cafe's strength lies in not defining people by their needs, but in creating space where everyone can eat with dignity and build community around the table. Renee (Left) with Adelle (Right) Adelle Bergman is the Director of Crescent City Cafe, a New Orleans nonprofit offering dignified dining for anyone experiencing food insecurity. Originally from Oklahoma, she moved to New Orleans over 19 years ago to support Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and never left. During her early years in New Orleans, Adelle began volunteering with Crescent City Cafe, founded in 2009 by her friends as a volunteer-led, restaurant-style breakfast serving guests in need. In 2015, the Cafe was inspired by the pay-what-you-can model and Adelle stepped into a leadership role to help guide its growth into a full-fledged nonprofit. Under her leadership, the Cafe has continued its long-standing tradition of serving guests twice a month and is now preparing to expand into a daily pay-what-you-can community cafe. It is set to open in the fall of 2026, marking an exciting new chapter in its mission to serve with dignity. When not at the Cafe, Adelle stays active in the community as a member of the Rotary Club of Mid-City New Orleans and belly dances with the Shimmy Shakti Dance Troupe. She lives in Gentilly with her husband Michael and their two young daughters.

3. 

   29 Jul 2026

   Everybody Eats: A Movement - Season 3 Episode 4 with Robert Harbula- A Place at the Table

   In this episode, Renee chats with Robert, a volunteer and community member at A Place at the Table Raleigh, about how a community cafe became a lifeline during his most challenging moments. A recent exercise physiology graduate, Robert transitioned from first-time diner to regular volunteer and shares how the cafe offers far more than nutrition. He credits the community and sense of belonging at A Place at the Table with providing spaces to combat loneliness and offering not just food, but belonging, purpose, and hope.

4. 

   22 Jul 2026

   Everybody Eats: A Movement - Season 3 Episode 3 with Morgan Stewart - Big Big Table

   From Fine Dining to Food Equity: Morgan Stewart and the Big Big Table Renee welcomes Morgan Stewart to the podcast.   Morgan is the Volunteer and Communications Manager at Big Big Table in Buffalo, New York. After becoming disillusioned with the for-profit restaurant world, Morgan found a different way forward at Big Big Table, an intimate 16-seat space on Buffalo's Lower West Side. The café serves about 30 guests daily, from working-class legacy residents to downtown professionals, creating what Morgan calls a vital "third space" where hospitality takes precedence over charity.  At its core, this episode affirms that creating accessible spaces where people can gather, eat well, and be seen is not a band-aid but a necessary foundation for building healthier communities. MORGAN STEWART Since getting involved at Big Big Table Community Cafe (Buffalo, NY) in early 2023, Morgan Stewart has held many roles: volunteer, AmeriCorps service member, board member, and now, staff member. During her previous career as a restaurant chef, her interest shifted from cooking food to studying its social impact. After leaving the for-profit hospitality industry to study community development through the University at Buffalo's Urban & Regional Planning program, she earned her master's degree and began working for food-related nonprofits. As Big Big Table's Volunteer & Communications Manager, today she spends less time in the kitchen and instead focuses on administration and front-of-house operations at Western New York's first pay-as-you-can cafe. Her professional aim is to democratize the experience of dining out so that everyone has the opportunity to feel taken care of, even if just for a few minutes. https://www.bigbigtable.org/

5. 

   15 Jul 2026

   Everybody Eats: A Movement - Season 3 Episode 2 with Theresa Marten - Colorado Vincentian Volunteers

   Making it easier for people to be good Renee chats with Theresa Marten, former staff member at SAME Cafe in Denver and current program manager for the Colorado Vincentian Volunteers, to explore what it means to create spaces where people can practice being human together. Inspired by Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement, Theresa found her calling at SAME Cafe, where she spent five years learning that a strong mission allows everyone to participate equally. The conversation explores how SAME Cafe became a place where regular guests shifted their own behavior over time, standing up for the calm, respectful space they all deserved. Theresa shares stories from the prep table where high school interns, people doing community service, and longtime volunteers worked side by side, learning that if they could collaborate here, what else might be possible on a larger scale? Theresa also discusses her current work with young adults in a year-long service program, emphasizing that community is the antidote to burnout. She believes we are wired to serve, that caring for those most in need makes it better for everyone, and that reducing stigma around asking for help creates a healthier society for all. https://www.soallmayeat.org/

6. 

   8 Jul 2026

   Everybody Eats: A Movement - Season 3 Episode 1 with Jennifer Seaver - Art for All

   A Journey from Community Cafe to Community Art Renee sits down with Jennifer Seaver, Farm Cafe's very first manager who help bring order to Farm Cafe's early chaos by building the systems and daily reports that still run the cafe today. But more importantly, she absorbed its core belief that dignity and access matter more than money. When she moved to Raleigh, she founded Art for All, a nonprofit offering art classes and community murals on a pay-what-you-can basis. Just as Farm Cafe feeds bodies without barriers, Art for All feeds creativity and connection. The conversation explores Jennifer's community-centered approach to public murals, where neighbors help design the art that will live in their spaces. Renee and Jennifer discuss the parallels between food and art as essential human needs, the challenges of sustaining alternative economic models, and how both Farm Cafe and Art for All create spaces where everyone is valued exactly as they are. Jennifer Seaver is a landscape designer, community arts leader, and lifelong artist whose work bridges creative practice, public service, and environmental design. She previously served as the first café manager at F.A.R.M. Café, where she also painted the portrait featured in the café’s mural. With a background in nonprofit management, government administration, and veterinary practice management, she brings an interdisciplinary perspective to her practice. Jennifer holds a BA in Leadership in the Public Sector from North Carolina State University and is currently a Master of Landscape Architecture candidate. She is the founder of Art for All - NC, a pay-what-you-can arts nonprofit inspired by the One World Everybody Eats movement, expanding access to the arts while fostering more sustainable communities. Her landscape design work focuses on climate-resilient landscapes and green infrastructure that support both social and ecological well-being, informed by equity and Indigenous land stewardship. F.A.R.M. Cafe Mural

7. 

   11 Mar 2026

   Everybody Eats: A Movement - Season 2 Episode 5 with Amoreena Kroup and Giovanna Dubuc - F.A.R.M. Cafe

   In the Season Two finale, Renee Boughman flips the mic toward the next generation, talking with two App State students whose lives have been shaped by Farm Cafe from the inside: Giovanna Dubuc, a Farm Cafe intern studying political science and languages, and Amoreena Kroup, a dedicated volunteer studying sustainable community services. What starts as a simple question — how did you find Farm Cafe? — opens into a rich, wide-ranging conversation about what it actually feels like to walk into a space where people are genuinely happy to be there. From navigating difficult interactions with grace beyond their years, to setting boundaries with regulars, to guiding first-time volunteers through knife safety and the art of a proper introduction, Giovanna and Amoreena offer a ground-level view of community cafe life that is both refreshingly honest and deeply moving.

8. 

   25 Feb 2026

   Everybody Eats: A Movement - Season 2 Episode 4 with Jeff and Julie Williams - TASTE Project

   In this episode, Renee talks with Jeff and Julie Williams, co-founders of Taste Project in Fort Worth, Texas — one of the largest and most distinctive community cafes in the country. With a full-service, sit-down restaurant model and an ACF-accredited culinary apprenticeship program, Taste Project is doing things a little differently in the pay-what-you-can world. Jeff shares how a persistent calling led him to open Taste Project in 2017, and how a dream — literally — set the wheels in motion for a second location in Arlington, made possible through an unlikely partnership with the city. Julie, who also serves as president of One World Everybody Eats, offers an honest look at what the network means for cafes nationwide and why the "self-sustaining model" myth is one of the first things new cafe founders need to let go of. Jeff WilliamsJeff Williams is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Taste Project. He has always had a passion for cooking, food, and feeding people. Being half Italian, Jeff’s heritage feeds his passion and discovery in the area of Italian cuisine. His vision for Taste Project is different than a growing, profit generating, Italian restaurant. His vision is not a homeless shelter or a soup kitchen, but a place where everyday folks eat; and those who could not afford to eat there could still enjoy a meal in the restaurant. In June 2012, Jeff launched Taste Project, and in December 2017, the organization launched Taste Community Restaurant. Jeff works full-time for Taste Project and attends Gateway Church. Julie WilliamsJulie Williams is the Co-Founder of Taste Project and has helped lead its mission and growth since launching the organization in 2012. With a background in healthcare marketing, Julie brings creativity, strategic vision, and heart to the development of Taste Community Restaurant and future initiatives. Taste Project is a nonprofit organization that fights food insecurity through a pay-what-you-can restaurant model, providing dignified access to healthy meals while creating a welcoming space for people from all walks of life to share a table. Julie currently serves as President of the One World Everybody Eats Board of Directors and is passionate about building strong communities through hospitality, inclusion, and nourishment. She lives in Fort Worth with her husband and co-founder, Jeff, and their son, Brian. Outside of her work, she enjoys running, family time, and being actively involved in her church community.

9. 

   11 Feb 2026

   Everbody Eats: A Movement - Seaon 2 Episode 3 with Jennie Knowlton - Quiltmaker Cafe

   Renee talks with Jenny Knowlton, the Executive Director and Founder of the Quiltmaker Cafe in Pittsboro, North Carolina. Named after the beloved children’s book The Quiltmaker’s Gift, the cafe is a testament to the power of patience and community persistence. Jenny shares the candid reality of a five-year journey to find a brick-and-mortar home. Despite many obstacles, Jenny didn't just wait; she spent years building a "tapestry" of support through pop-up meals, food truck events, and deep involvement in the local community. The conversation explores the unique challenges of merging a nonprofit mission with a professional restaurant, the importance of mentorship from other community cafe directors, and why Jenny believes the long wait actually resulted in the perfect downtown location. Jennie Knowlton, Founder and Executive Director of The Quiltmaker Café, began her first nonprofit journey early last year, along with her husband, David, and daughter, Elizabeth.  Having experienced food insecurity herself during different periods in her life, childhood, young adulthood and once again when starting her own family, she can personally relate to the dignity that is lost as choices become fewer and fewer.  Having always been environmentally conscious, Jennie is excited to combine her passion for reducing waste with her desire to address growing food insecurity in her state by providing a space where all are welcome to a meal and a community.  She is grateful for the support and encouragement from the local community in helping make Pittsboro’s first Pay-What-You-Can restaurant possible.

10. 

    4 Feb 2026

    Everybody Eats: A Movement - Season 2 Episode 2 with Elena Dalton - F.A.R.M Cafe

    Renee sits down with Elena Dalton, Executive Director of Farm Cafe, to discuss the unique ”expert generalist” nature of nonprofit leadership and their successful, unconventional succession plan. They explore the critical role of food recovery, the necessity of restaurant experience in community cafes, and how the cafe serves as a powerful mirror for personal growth and human connection.

11. 

    28 Jan 2026

    Everybody Eats: A Movement - Season 2 Episode 1 with Laura Mahn - NEST Cafe

    Host Renee Boughman sits down with Rev. Laura Evans Mahn, founder and executive director of NEST Cafe (Nourish Everyone Sustainably Together), a pay-what-you-can cafe in Rock Island, Illinois, serving the Quad Cities. Laura and Renee dig into what it takes to establish a mission-driven cafe, why so many of these spaces are led by women, and what critics get wrong about “feel-good” solutions to hunger. Rev. Laura Evans Mahn is the founder and Executive Director of NEST Café (Nourish Everyone Sustainably Together). Raised in North Carolina, she attended the University of North Carolina, Wilmington and later received her Master’s in Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Laura has served as a church pastor in various locations, worked in various nonprofits, and traveled quite a bit. In all of these positions and locations, Laura has learned that what she loves most is hearing people’s stories. Those stories, both the ones she has listened to and the ones she has observed, those shared around a table and those shared because of the lack of a table, have led to NEST Café. Having a place where people gather over real food and experience a sense of “home” no matter how much they can pay, has been a dream of hers for a very long time. NEST Café is a dream come true! Laura has called Rock Island, IL home for the past 18 years. She and her husband, Jason, are parents to 2 boys, 1 dog, and a handful of chickens.

12. 

    13 Aug 2025

    Everybody Eats: A Movement - Season 1 Episode 5 - with Marcus Gupton F.A.R.M. Cafe

    In the studio with Renee is Marcus Gupton, a long-time volunteer and staff member of Farm Cafe in Boone, North Carolina. Marcus shares his journey through homelessness, describing it as “the collapse of your entire outer reality,” and explains how Farm Cafe became both a refuge and a community for him. Together, Renee and Marcus explore the transformative power of human connection in a pay-what-you-can café, where people from all walks of life—students, locals, and those experiencing homelessness—come together over shared meals. Marcus reflects on the value of bartering service for food, the importance of being seen and valued, and how Farm Cafe’s inclusive model breaks down social barriers. The conversation also touches on the impact of Hurricane Helene, with Marcus offering moving insights on loss, resilience, and the lessons of empathy that emerge from starting over. Through personal stories and honest reflection, this episode shines a light on the strength found in community and the hope that grows when everyone has a seat at the table. Marcus Gupton Marcus Gupton was born in Louisburg, NC, in the summer of 1970. Growing up; he lived in Brussels Belgium, Durham, NC, and Sydney, Australia. He has called Boone home since 1992, working as a student, a clerk, and as a volunteer and staff member at F.A.R.M. Cafe.

13. 

    6 Aug 2025

    Everybody Eats: A Movement - Season 1 Episode 4 - with Libby Birky

    In this episode, host Renee Boughman welcomes Libby Birky, co-founder of SAME Cafe in Denver, for a deep dive into the philosophy and practicalities behind community cafes. Libby shares her journey from running one of the nation’s first nonprofit, pay-what-you-can cafe to mentoring new cafes across the country, emphasizing the importance of dignity, authentic relationships, and community participation over transactional models. The conversation explores the differences between suggested donation systems and open-ended giving, the challenges of maintaining equity and respect for all guests, and the creative problem-solving required to make these unique restaurants work. Together, Renee and Libby discuss lessons learned from years of experience, including the need for trauma-informed care, the value of offering real choice to guests, and the ongoing work of balancing financial sustainability with the mission to serve everyone. This episode offers an honest look at what makes community cafes successful, the pitfalls to avoid, and why building a space where everyone is welcome is both messy and deeply rewarding. Libby Birky co-founded SAME Café in Denver, CO with her husband Brad back in 2006—because what’s marriage without starting a non-profit restaurant together, right? In 2018, she “pre-tired” from the daily grind (think retiring, but trendier and earlier) and hit the road in a camper van with Brad, visiting  community cafés along the way. Since their tour de cafe road trip, Libby’s been the fairy godmother of community cafés —helping out with HR headaches, kitchen conundrums, and delivering top-tier moral support with a side of encouragement (no extra charge). Armed with a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction (aka: professional teaching smarts), Libby spent twelve years wrangling elementary schoolers before swapping the classroom for the kitchen—same chaos, better snacks. She’s now based in Georgia with her husband and two vintage dogs, Leo & Gemini, who enjoy long naps and judging squirrels. A fan of all things triathlon—biking, swimming, and running—Libby no longer attempts them simultaneously (less flailing, more fun). In her free time, she sews, bakes, and devours books like they’re hot gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.

14. 

    30 Jul 2025

    Everybody Eats: A Movement - Season 1 Episode 3- with Maggie Kane from A Place at the Table

    In this episode Renee welcomes Maggie Kane, founder of "A Place at the Table" in Raleigh, NC, for a candid conversation about the joys and challenges of running a community cafe. Maggie shares her journey from nonprofit work to managing a pay-what-you-can restaurant, reflecting on the unexpected complexities of combining food service with a mission to serve everyone with dignity. Together, they discuss the daily moments that make the work worthwhile, from hugs and laughter to seeing families enjoy a meal they might not otherwise have. The episode also explores deeper issues facing community cafes, including the struggle for fair nonprofit compensation, the importance of equity and including diverse voices in leadership, and the tension between staying true to their mission and navigating political realities. Maggie and Renee offer honest insights into self-care and resilience, highlighting why this movement matters now more than ever. Maggie Kane Maggie is the Founder and Executive Director of A Place at the Table, Raleigh’s first pay-what-you-can nonprofit cafe. She graduated from NC State University in 2013 and began working for a nonprofit with people experiencing homelessness. By befriending many people living on the margins, she saw the challenges of food insecurity as well as providing dignity to those in need. In February 2015, A Place at the Table was born and Maggie never looked back. Opening in January of 2018, Table has served thousands of people in Raleigh with a dignified and an affordable meal, together. Maggie has a heart to serve, a desire to always be inclusive, and a passion for loving people. She lives in Raleigh, loves to jump rope, and eats a large amount of peanut butter. She loves hiking in the mountains, and all things sunflowers. You’ll find her watching movies at the theaters in those big comfy chairs, skydiving, or breaking away for a quick 2-day weekend trip.

15. 

    23 Jul 2025

    Everybody Eats: A Movement - Season 1 Episode 2 - with Christie Melby-Gibbons from Tricklebee Cafe

    In this episode, host Renee Boughman sits down with Christie Melby-Gibbons, executive director of Tricklebee Cafe in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Christie shares the story behind the café’s whimsical name, her fierce commitment to vegan cuisine, and why Tricklebee chose to open its doors in a neighborhood often overlooked. Rev. Christie Melby-Gibbons is the Executive Director of Tricklebee Cafe, Milwaukee’s first pay-what-you-can community cafe (est. 2016), which is a ministry of the Moravian Church in America and a member of One World Everybody Eats. Her undergraduate work was in Russian Language & Area Studies, as well as an approved self-designed major: Nature Theology, considering questions at the intersection of theological and environmental studies, including recovering a valuation of nature and a sense of responsible stewardship through spiritual reflection. She has been an ordained minister in the Moravian Church since 2009. As an artist (eclectic assemblage beading & junk reclamation furniture building), an entrepreneur, a spouse, and a mother of three, she finds joy in simple living. She has the audacity to believe that all people deserve good, healthy food regardless of their ability to pay for it with money, and that a kin-centric economy—based on the assumption that everyone has something to offer—is possible because she witnesses it daily. Produced by Directed by Beth Davison Engineerd by Sully Styles Edited by Sully Styles Podcast theme music by Adam Summey Original Music by Sully Styles Logo Design by Yakira Gurganus All rights reserved

16. 

    16 Jul 2025

    Everybody Eats: A movement - Season 1: Episode 1 - The origins of F.A.R.M. Cafe with Shelly Wilson

    Welcome to the first episode of Everybody Eats - A Movement, a podcast that explores the intersection of good food and social change.

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