As the state’s first pay-what-you-can restaurant, Gather55 in Hartford, Connecticut, is addressing food insecurity with an innovative approach that breaks away from the traditional soup kitchen model.

Owned and operated by Hands On Hartford, a local nonprofit that has offered diverse social services for the city’s low-income residents for more than half a century, Gather55 opened to the public in June 2022 at 55 Bartholomew Avenue in Hartford’s Parkville neighborhood to fund the organization’s programs in the areas of food, housing, and health. Patrons who can pay full price and those who can’t dine side by side. The contributions from paying patrons help offset the cost of meals for those in need, resulting in a shared community experience.

Because the bulk of Hands On Hartford’s funds are destined for those who need them most—whether it’s in the form of health screenings, food pantry items or utility payment assistance—the restaurant opened without sufficient money for basic exterior features like signage and lights. “Our restaurant was barely recognizable as a restaurant,” says Barbara Shaw, executive director of Hands On Hartford. “It’s hard to run a restaurant if people don’t even know you’re a restaurant.”

A Backing Historic Small Restaurants grant helped solve that problem. In 2023, Gather55 was among 25 restaurants that received $40,000 grants from the joint program between the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express. “That approach to community engagement and ensuring that everyone, regardless of their financial means, has access to meals, is a great cause for a restaurant,” says Natalie Woodward, associate manager for the Backing Small Restaurants Program at the National Trust.

Launched in 2021 to support independently-owned restaurants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Backing Historic Small Restaurants program is now in its fourth year. It continues to address the needs of restaurants operating in historic buildings, with a focus on revitalizing their exteriors. “We want to protect [historic buildings] but we also want them to be inviting and for the community to want to keep using them,” says Woodward.

The funds allowed Gather55 to make several important improvements: replacing an outdated bike rack, sprucing up the landscaping and adding eye-catching signage and lighting for safety and ambiance. “The lighting and the signage and the landscaping help folks to feel more welcome,” says Shaw. “We feel that being hospitable and accessible to our neighbors is super important.”

Old Building, New Model

Manufacturing has played a significant role in Hartford's history. Gather55 operates in a two-story, red brick industrial building constructed before 1912 that once belonged to the Hartford Rubber Works Company and was known as The Tire Storage Building. While the building has undergone renovations, many of its original features have been preserved, including its exposed brick walls, timber columns, wood strip flooring and open floor plan.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Hands on Hartford operated The Café at Fifty-Five at 55 Bartholomew Ave., which was also open to the public. Profits from that venture supported the nonprofit’s programs, including an off-site soup kitchen at a local church. However, the pandemic resulted in the closure of The Café at Fifty-Five. When the church that housed the soup kitchen also closed, the service had to be relocated to 55 Bartholomew Ave.

That’s when the organization saw an opportunity to start anew with a different approach.

“We said, ‘Well, wait a minute, what if we combine these two concepts?’ The way that a soup kitchen is especially accessible to low-income people, but with the notion of choice, of restaurant quality meals, of a nicer environment,” says Shaw.

Hands on Hartford took inspiration from other similar venues across the country, including Jon Bon Jovi’s Soul Kitchen in New Jersey. “What we ended up creating is dramatically different from each one of them, but the core of it is, ‘how do you make better quality, often healthy, choice-filled foods available to more people in community?’” says Shaw.

Two Restaurants in One

From Monday through Thursday, Gather55’s restaurant staff, led by Chef Karl Robinson, Sr. in conjunction with Chef Rob Maffucci (Director/General Manager of Gather55), serves breakfast and lunch meals, along with a variety of à la carte items, in a casual setting. Patrons are encouraged to pay the full price, a minimum of $3 or anything in between, but no one is turned away. Inspired by the idea that everyone has something to contribute, those unable to afford a meal can volunteer their time as an alternative to paying for their food.

Shaw believes this model fosters a sense of community and helps build job skills.

“Maybe somebody doesn't have money in their pocket, but they can bring coffee and water to the tables,” says Shaw. “Maybe they don't really like interacting with people that much and they want to go outside and help keep the trash at bay. Maybe they want to learn some skills that are more kitchen related.”

Those who cannot pay or volunteer are given a voucher for a free meal. Corporate and other group and individual volunteers also help keep the daytime restaurant running.

Reflecting on the impact of this approach, Shaw notes, “When we first opened, we heard from many folks including, not surprisingly, seniors, how much they appreciated that model. We knew a lot of seniors weren’t comfortable with the idea of accepting ‘charity’ or ‘handouts,’ as some people call it,” she says. “By being able to contribute, it evens the playing field and just creates a sense of all of us together. That was an extremely powerful reason why we did this.

“We also find that families with children feel much more comfortable going there than our old soup kitchen.”

In October 2022, Gather55 expanded its services to include dinner. From Wednesday through Saturday, patrons can enjoy a unique culinary experience each month, featuring an upscale three-course menu with a prix fixe option crafted by a renowned local guest chef and executed by Executive Chef Jeremy Williams and Gather55 staff. The use of tablecloths, candles and dimmer lighting contributes to a refined atmosphere. Celebrity chef Tyler Anderson, a James Beard Award nominee of Top Chef of fame, partnered with Hands On Hartford to launch the restaurant’s dinner service.