Santa Rosa nonprofit closing Ceres Cafe, expanding meal delivery program

The popular northeast Santa Rosa lunchtime spot Ceres Cafe will close its doors next week so the nonprofit that runs it can invest more resources into its other community food programs.

The eatery, which specializes in organic, sustainable and locally sourced ingredients, was based for the last year and a half in Social Advocates For Youth’s Dream Center on Summerfield Road. The operator, Sebastopol-based Ceres Community Project will continue its catering service out of the location, but will pivot away from the cafe’s daily, made-to-order model on Friday because the venture proved unprofitable, according to Cathryn Couch, the organization’s longtime executive director.

“We are refocusing on our core work, which is about empowering young people and serving clients who are dealing with a serious health crisis,” she said. “The cafe limited our ability to do that at that program site and we were not able to financially maintain that business and do the expansion that our community needs right now.”

Couch founded the nonprofit in 2007 as a once-weekly volunteer project. Over the past decade it has developed into a North Bay food network that emphasizes wellness, youth gardening and culinary education and a free meal delivery service for those dealing with acute illness.

Demands on the organization have grown for its signature healthy meal distribution program - now providing almost 100,000 ready-to-eat plates annually - and it currently runs a waitlist. The nonprofit saw an increased number of requests from survivors after October’s destructive wildfires, and in February Patelco Credit Union donated $78,000 to Ceres from proceeds raised toward fire relief to help offset those rising disaster expenses.

Outside of a portion of a three-year, $6 million low-income nutrition pilot program funded by the state that is set to begin in April, Couch said the organization relies on the community’s support to pursue its mission. The nonprofit’s operating budget for 2018 is $2.4 million, and the cafe space is donated by Social Advocates For Youth.

But the expense and extra work of the Monday through Friday bistro couldn’t be justified, Couch said, as Ceres looks to grow in other directions. SAY employees and other daily patrons are disappointed to see it go.

“Dream Center staff definitely enjoys grabbing morning coffee, lunch or an afternoon snack, but mostly we like supporting the lovely programming they put on,” said Shelby Harris, spokeswoman for SAY. “We’ll miss the beet burgers and the kale wraps, but are excited they’ll still continue their core services and programs.”

The cafe’s manager will be reassigned to the meal program, as will youth interns, to either that service or the ongoing catering component at the Dream Center. One staff member at the cafe will step away in the transition, and Ceres hopes to find different roles for each of its volunteers.

“We’re incredibly proud of the cafe and proud of our staff that has been managing it,” said Couch. “The community supporting the cafe loves it and sees it as an important part of the neighborhood, and we’re really sad to make this decision. Unfortunately as a nonprofit this is the right decision for us and the clients we serve right now.”

You can reach Staff Writer Kevin Fixler at 707-521-5336 or at kevin.fixler@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @kfixler.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to correct the dollar amount Ceres Community Project could receive for a three-year low-income nutrition pilot funded by the state. It is a portion of a $6 million grant.