A Cafe for Our Community

For some time we have been looking for a way to promote downtown revitalization, provide an inviting and visible location for art exhibits, concerts and lectures, to offer healthy meals, and serve as a resource for community activists in Tucson. Cafe Quebec seemed to have the potential to meet that goal. We met there almost every day after work, and we counted on meeting our friends there as well. Not wanting to compete directly with Cafe Quebec, we investigated several properties on Stone Avenue, registered the name, "Stone Soup Cafe" and purchased an internet domain of the same name. We attended the "New Business Clinic" at Pima Community College Small Business Development Center and began preparing a business plan.

When Cafe Quebec abruptly closed its doors, we were very stunned. However, we also see the cafe's unexpected closure as an opportunity to locate our cafe in downtown Tucson.

Executive Summary

Cafe Quebec was an established business with a loyal clientele. A group of Tucson artists and activists is reopening it as "Stone Soup Cafe." We are organizing as a collective making decisions by consensus.

Stone Soup would be primarily a coffee house, book store and art gallery with a vegetarian, vegan and raw food menu. We would continue its tradition of providing a relaxed and comfortable environment where customers can linger over coffee and healthy meals at reasonable prices. However, we would make the following additions to CQ's offerings:

• The cafe would include a bookstore featuring hard-to-find contemporary books about progressive history, art, culture, environment and politics. We will stock the titles of local, national and foreign alternative authors and publishers. Bookshelves would be constructed along the western wall for this purpose. We will also have a wide rang of radical, cultural and progressive magazines and newspapers.
• We would have at least two computer workstations with high speed internet access available for rent.
• We would also broadcast alternaive programs like Democracy Now! world music, and other hard to find recordings.
• The cafe would open and close earlier during the week to capitalize on breakfast and lunch time traffic. Evening hours would be expanded as business warrants.
• The interior has been entirely repainted and redecorated using a warm and cheery palette of colors that takes advantage of the building's high ceilings and excellent natural light. Between and above the bookshelves on the west wall, we will install a track-type picture hanging system that would not damage the walls. We intend to grow our own sprouts and herbs which will add a fresh atmosphere.
• Stone Soup Cafe will have ongoing exhibitions by local artists as well as lectures, book signings and acoustic music concerts. Poets, musicians, authors, activists and performance arts from all over the world will inspire, entertain and educate our community. We will also show videos, slide shows and all types of media about alternative health, cultural, environment, peace and social justice issues.
• Stone Soup Cafe would be a non-smoking establishment, and the existing smoking area will be available by reservation for lectures and meetings of community organizations.
• Existing furniture will be either refinished or replaced. The building has adequate on-street parking. Additional bike racks will be added since the cafe is extremely popular with bicyclists.
• The cafe will operate as a for-profit "S" type corporation. The cultural aspects of the collective will operate as a non-profit tax exempt organization. The corporation who will issue shares of stocks based on the initial investments. The stockholders will elect the Board of Directors, which will operate by consensus.
• The cafe will have at least three full-time employees in addition to the board of directors. We will aim to recruit exceptionally loyal employees by paying above-average wages, providing a relaxed and pleasant work environment, and by sharing both decision-making and profits.

Mission Statement

To promote Southern Arizona's progressive movement by providing a community gathering place featuring art exhibits, meetings, lectures, concerts, and fresh, tasty, organic, GM free vegetarian, vegan and raw food at reasonable prices in a relaxed atmosphere.

Description of Business

Stone Soup Cafe will be a combination coffeehouse, Internet cafe, bookstore, art gallery, community center and restaurant located on the site of the former Cafe Quebec at 121 East Broadway Boulevard.

The cafe will offer coffee and tea beverages, vegetarian, vegan and raw food meals. Since we are four to six blocks from the main complex of city, state and federal offices, we will offer call-in orders and web orders with either pickup or delivery via bicycle courier.

Bookshelves will be constructed along the western wall, but would be spaced several feet apart so that artwork can be displayed between and above the shelving units. We will purchase and install a track-type picture-hanging system that will not damage the walls.

Opportunities and Strengths

Cafe Quebec was an established business with a loyal clientele. The cafe has a ready-made base of customers from the activist and downtown community that we should be able to coax back to the cafe with a minimum of promotional costs. Our unique food, frequent events and our support of community groups will make Stone Soup Cafe successful and solvent.

Although there are several coffeehouses in the area, all but one occupies a very small space and has no room for concerts, art exhibits and other traffic-building community activities.

There are approximately 13,800 people working in the 85701 ZIP code, which is bounded by St. Mary's Road, the railroad tracks, Euclid Avenue, 22nd Street, and Interstate 10. Of those, approximately 8,000 work within four blocks of Stone Avenue and Congress Street.

The founders have over 25 years experience in restaurant management and the food and beverage industry. The founders include marketing professionals who are skilled in using unconventional and inexpensive methods to promote their businesses. We are also active in the Tucson community and connected to a wide variaty of groups and projects. We have world wide connections as well which will help make the Stone Soup Cafe one of the first stops for visitors from out of town.