So, I went back to the Nomad Cafe last week for lunch, and saw that the sandwich that once cost $5.50 now cost $7.50. That seemed rather steep for lunch (I can't see paying more than $5.50 for a sandwich, really), and so I wrote to the Nomad folks to voice my displeasure. The proprietor wrote back. It's a thoughtful response, addressing some community issues, so I asked if I could post it to the Beast Blog, and he said yes.
Peter, I really appreciate you making the effort to share your feelings about our price increase (as well as your previous mention of our business on the beastblog listserv). If it troubles you to see our prices increase, imagine how I must feel. The whole purpose of me leaving my $150,000-per-year Hollywood film industry job and going into the cafe business (!) was to invest in my local community; to bring my earth-friendly, arts-and-community-oriented aesthetic down from my global cyber-community to a local scale, in real time and space, in my own neighborhood.Posted by peterme at July 7, 2003 09:50 AM | TrackBackWe brought a facelift, a kickstart, to this neighborhood. We created a top-end presentation where nobody would feel alienated. We have kids, old people, people of all ethnicities and orientations, some who have been neighbors for years, interacting with each other for the first time! We have internet, live music, art. Last night our installed artist, Caleb Kenna, gave a narrated slideshow presentation based on his photojournalistic experiences in Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Morocco, Thailand, Cuba. Weekly, several writers' groups gather to discuss their latest projects. This Sunday, we are catering in-house to a group of 30 supporters of the Kucinich for President campaign. Next month, hip-hop animators from West Oakland will be installed at the cafe and making multimedia presentations. We are a crucial, vibrant community crossroads. Today I spent three hours with the Coordinator of Oakland's Facade Improvement Program, canvassing the neighborhood, attempting to get City monies dedicated to Nomad Cafe's neighbors for the improvement of their businesses.
Last week, we were officially certified by the City of Oakland's Green Business program as a green business. We are implementing measures to conserve energy, water, and materials and to cut pollution. We use safe cleaning products that are mixed using an enclosed system which protects employees from spills and splashes and cuts the chances of a spill to the City's storm drain system. 95% of the waste produced at the cafe is compostable, and is recycled through a local food waste recycling program, or directly to our customers. ALL of our coffees are 100% Fair Trade, Organic. Our teas are certified organic. All of our dairy, and the majority of our produce, are organic and sustainably-produced. Our smoothies are made with fresh-squeezed juices and organic fruits. Our food, in particular our sandwiches, are EXTRAORDINARILY high-quality, delicious meals, and are served with a side of roasted potatoes and a fresh, organic fruit garnish. They and all of our foods are labor-intensive to the point of being insupportable even at the higher cost. We are in fact in the planning stages of a move toward more "grab-and-go" foods that can be prepared in advance (on premises) without compromising quality, while allowing our customers, many of whom have busy lives, to get in and out quickly.
The Earth-friendly aesthetic applies to my employment practices as well. My full-time employees are very well-paid for coffeehouse employees; they are fully benefited with medical, dental, vision and paid vacation, as well as large yearly bonuses. I provide special work opportunities for local, socially-disadvantaged teens. We donate all of our leftover pastries to the nearby Women's Refuge. All of these sustainable and arts-and-community-based business practices come at a very high cost. I am not an independently wealthy man. If I do not pass on enough costs to make this a break-even business (we are still nowhere close), the business will be gone within months, and your question will be moot.
... [omitted by request of author]
Given these considerations -- and not intending to sound patronizing -- how do you justify NOT paying that much money for a sandwich at the Nomad Cafe? We know we can't please everyone, nor fit everyone's budget; all we can do is try to survive, and try to remind people like you of all the reasons to support a business like ours. We really would like to have your business, even if you have to limit it to special occasions. God knows the economy has most of us in that position these days.
Thanks again for your patronage. I hope we can see you back at the cafe often.
Christopher Waters
that's really sad that my favorite wi-fi cafe that is so close to me doesn't look like it will be a successful venue. guess i'll have to keep getting my coffee there until it goes away a couple months from now. how sad.
Posted by: ernie at July 10, 2003 01:40 AMSorry. But the truth of the matter is, is that if the market doesn't deem a lunch sandwich to be $7.50, then people wont pay it. No amount of whining about how much they do for the community is going to change that. I applaud them for their efforts, but if they can't do it while providing lunch at an price that people are willing to pay, what good is it all? You'll be doing a whole lot of good things, but only until the business folds because your food is priced too high.
Then again, I've never been there, and I can't speak from experience of being there. Just know what I read here.
Posted by: Vincent at July 10, 2003 06:36 AMErnie and Vincent:
People ARE willing to pay it, and the market does support it. Have you been to Rick & Anne's in Berkeley, or Di Bartolo over by Lake Merritt, recently? These are fine establishments, but their prices are as high or higher than ours -- and they are neither certified green nor organic businesses.
Your predictions of failure are cruel and not at all aligned with our vision for a community-based business. If you aren't willing to support us, at least spare us your cynicism. You get what you pay for. There are lots of market "niches" out there. Ours is earth-friendly, organic, high-end. If that is not your niche, there's nothing we can do about that. As anyone who's ever been in the restaurant business knows, "you will never be able to satisfy everybody." However, please don't give the incorrect impression -- we have VERY many happy return customers who have been, and continue to be, willing to pay a fair market price for a delicious and sustainably-produced product. I do find it ironic, particularly here in the earth- and health-conscious Bay area, where chain restaurants serving unfresh, irradiated food fall under constant criticism, that an independent, earth-friendly cafe servicing the local community should be subject to death cries from a group of people who have no real investment in the process other than to take advantage of our free internet access. Cynical indeed. Odds of success are small for ANY independent food-service endeavor, but if we do survive, we'll remember your critical comments when you come in and hook up to our free high-speed wireless (and ethernet) network and tell your friends, "Oh yes, I've been supporting them since they first opened."
If you want something good for yourself and your community, you have to invest. We're doing our part -- are you willing to do yours?
~owner, Nomad Cafe
Posted by: Christopher Waters at July 10, 2003 11:52 PMYou know what? I DID do my part - I went into your cafe and proceeded to buy a $7.50 sandwitch and a $3.50 raspberry lemonaide this afternoon. I wasn't trying to be cruel by writing that comment, but I made those comments after you indirectly made the comment of the cafe not doing well financially.
What's irking me right now is that the defensive comment you wrote sounds of a borderline threat:
"...we'll remember your critical comments when you come in and hook up to our free high-speed wireless (and ethernet) network and tell your friends, 'Oh yes, I've been supporting them since they first opened.'"
Dude, guess what? I am a customer. I live three blocks away. I HAVE told my friends about your cafe. But if you're going to write nasty responses in the guise of defending your community, make sure the person you're directing your comment to isn't part of the community you serve.
Posted by: ernie at July 11, 2003 02:51 AMwow, ernie, you did say it would fold in a few months. so why not give him some slack for maybe being mad about it. sounds like he's still trying to make a go of it. it's a lot more personal for him. imagine if it was your place and dream, your money and time. i thought your response was a lot nastier than any of his. i'm sure it's hard to keep a "customer is always right!" happy face on at all times and yah, some bitterness slipped out. but for some reason i expected better from you, ernie.
Posted by: andrew at July 11, 2003 09:06 AMJust go to Subway..
Posted by: Mike at July 11, 2003 10:06 AMMmmmmm...Subway
Posted by: Donny O at July 11, 2003 11:55 AMI'm not in the neighborhood of Nomad, but i'm definitely going to check it out.
I have to say I'm impressed by Mr. Water's comments. Having food service experience I know how hard it can be to stand up [and gracefully I might add] to the masses who've been trained by the fast food establishment to think nothing should cost more than a few bucks. It's not like Subway is that cheap either. I've never walked out of there without spending less than seven bucks.
While I can't always afford to eat at the best places, when I decide to eat out I'm certainly willing to pay a little bit more for the chance at supporting local folks who make great food!
*ScharffebergerChocolate*
;]
I know it's hard to be happy when you see something you bought before double in price, but consider that they really would go out of business if they didn't opt to raise prices.
Just my 2 cents....
Posted by: Kat at July 13, 2003 09:47 PMThought I would add my two cents. I haven't been yet, but I do love the Dry Garden next door and I've biked past the Nomad lots of times without thinking to stop in a get some refreshment. Since I'm about to get a wi-fi card for my ibook, I can't wait to check it out.
I'm fully support this business and I'll report back my findings.
Sincerely,
mikewade
jeez
wish i had a $150,000 a year job. then i could afford to go to a place like Nomad and enjoy wi-fi on the iBook that i'd also be able to afford.
i have and will continue to support nomad. what people fail to realize is this:
the cheaper sandwiches (subway, wahtever) aren't cheaper at all. they just do not reflect the actual cost of doing honest, sustainable business. people at subway are not paid well. the food at subway is chock full of pesticides & growth hormones. not very sustainable at all. what kind of world are you buying when you buy your sandwich?
the $7.50 sandwich means a real living for employees, ecologically sound food & packaging, and a place for free wi-fi. sounds like a bargain to me!
i wish folks would think of the bigger picture when complaiing about stuff like this. it's like when people complain about gas prices. we never have paid what the actual cost of gas is in the united states!
and believe me, i know what it is to be broke. but i also know what it's like to not have community centers in my 'hood, not to have a job at all, or to work a job that doesn't pay me enough.
dani
Posted by: dani at October 20, 2003 10:33 PMSustainability is all good, and it sounds like the Nomad's heart is in the right spot. However, not everyone in the community has an employer that is trying to provide a sustainable life. No matter how you rationalize it, $7.50 is a lot for a sandwich - the economics of sustainability are definitely going to price people out. If you have $7.50 for a sandwich, then it's worth it to support a sustainability experiment. If you don't have $7.50 for a sandwich, then you will have to buy something cheaper.
I think what is important to realize is that the fact you like where the money is going doesn't create money in your pocket - i.e., "I need lunch. I have $5. Oh, but this is a good thing to spend money on. Presto, $2.50 has appeared in my magic pocket of good feelings."
The upshot of this is that if you don't have the money to spend, well, perhaps have some sympathy that you are priced out not for a single person's gain.
It is also worth noting that for a coffee shop to claim that it is "community center" at the same time it is pricing people out, it is going to have to find ways to engage those people that are priced out in order to keep the claim that it is a "community center." I don't mean to suggest that Nomad doesn't do this, it is simply worth informing the experiment.
Pibor.
Posted by: pibor at October 21, 2003 10:01 AMIn 2003, $7.50 isn't that bad for a sandwich.
What else can I get for $7.50? $5.00? Surely, I can get a bowl of soup or a small salad with a cup of tea from the Nomad Cafe.
Mr. Waters letter was very good and I believe the $7.50 to Nomad will be a little more effective (and have some impact on the residents in the surrounding couple of blocks) than a foot-long from another sandwich shop.
Carry on Nomad, carry on smaller business owner. Here's to you and your dream to help others.
Reminds me of Kimo's in Pacific Beach (San Diego) for the generosity and friendliness.
On your way to Wal-Mart for the low prices you may want to stop and have lunch at Nomad Cafe....
I work in the neighborhood, and I'm always happy to find good new places to eat that are within walking distance of me. I have to say I agree with ernie and vincent that Nomad might take a dive, but for a different reason.
$7.50 is a lot to spend on a sandwich, but I'm willing to put in the extra bucks to support the local economy and the environment. But I expect to not be met with an impolite attitide every time I eat there, especially not for a $10 lunch. All three times I've given Nomad a chance, I've been snapped at impatiently by the people behind the counter. Y'all are rude, and I can see where it's coming from when I read the note from the owner. I can go be sustainable at the Berkeley Bowl too, so why should I pay extra for the attitude?
Lighten up on the nastiness, and maybe your business plan will survive.
Posted by: Abnut at December 11, 2003 01:46 PMOn the plus side, they're great sandwiches, much yummier than anything at Subway. And it just makes me happy to support a forward-looking business.
Oh, and the afternoon sun is positively fabulous at the cafe.
Tom
(who bought two sandwiches at Nomad last week)
I am a professional copywriter, editor and translator.
A few months ago, I left my job at a Silicon Valley ad agency and returned to the self-employed lifestyle I had abandoned several years before. I soon rediscovered that working in a home office deprives me of the human contact that sparks my creativity. My solution was to buy a Wifi-integrated laptop and set out in search of a work venue with a vibrant but unsassuming ambience, an inspiring interpersonal dynamic, a reliable Internet connection, and decent food and coffee.
Equipped with these unrealistically high expectations and a list of free and paid WiFi establishments from El Cerrito to Fort Mason, I embarked on a mission of trial and error that lasted several weeks -- until I discovered Nomad. In the few months since then, I have become a regular there. I have spent dozens of hours using their free wireless and Ethernet connections -- and, I might add, hundreds of dollars on their delicious sandwiches, soups, baked goods, coffees and teas. I have befriended massage therapists and musicians, movement coaches and mechanics, software engineers and event producers, writers, students and professors of all ages and walks of life. Every afternoon I have spent there has been a thought-provoking experience, enabling me to work far more productively and enjoyably than I ever could at home. And contrary to what some in this forum have written, I have always found every single member of the staff to be personable, cooperative, and very professional, greeting me with a smile and by name.
Sure, there are cheaper places to buy a sandwich, drink a cup of coffee, and check your email. I visited one such place this morning -- Berkeley Espresso at Shattuck and Hearst. When I dared to remark, gently, to the manager on duty that the Internet connection had been down for 20 minutes, the Berkeley Espresso manager screamed at me, gesticulating wildly: "The Internet service is free. You don't pay for it, and we don't owe you anything. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I'm paid to serve coffee, not to worry about your computer. If you don't like it, go buy your coffee somewhere else." (By way of contrast, Nomad recently invested upwards of $800, I believe, in a fantastic, high-performance Linksys router, in order to provide an even more stable Wifi experience to customers -- who do not pay a penny to the cafe for Internet access. And on several occasions, I have seen staff members there patiently walk customers through the task of configuring their own Wifi cards and laptops.)
To be perfectly honest, I am shamefully ignorant of many of the environmental and ecological issues that Nomad espouses, having lived most of my life in a rather oppressive Middle Eastern country whose society has never made social responsbility a priority. But I am grateful for the opportunity to support an institution that has gone to such lengths to conserve natural resources, control pollution, and advance tolerance and social awareness. And given all of the other virtues of the place, $7.50 per sandwich is a cheap price to pay for that privilege.
If -- as some have suggested -- Nomad does not survive economically, its downfall will not be due to the price of its delicious, painstakingly prepared chicken peperonata sandwiches. Rather, it will be the community's failure to realize the treasure that this institution delivers. I, for one, intend to do all that I can to ensure that does not happen.
Posted by: Avi at January 5, 2004 08:54 PMI have been going to Nomad (and purchasing said expensive food and drink items) pretty much since they opened. On days when I think I need to be tightening up my belt, I order just a coffee; on others, I get the $3.50 raspberry lemonade (once I got two in one sitting) and other delicacies. I believe in the way Nomad is running their business - providing a quality, no-holds-barred establishment that doesn't screw its employees or the world with its practices. I bring my laptop, enjoy the free WiFi, and hope to see this place around in a few years. If you're looking for a $4 sandwich, go to Safeway!
Posted by: Shahed at January 18, 2004 12:06 AMYou wouldn't be able to get away these kinds of prices if you weren't in an affluent area. You are no different from any other business owner, landlord, CEO etc, you try to get away with as much as you can.
Aren't you ashamed to be charging these kinds of Rip-off prices. Just because you masquerade it as organic, hip, green, etc. doesn't make it any less of a rip-off. In fact it's worse, because more is expected of you.
At least Safeway makes it possible for ordinary people to eat.
Posted by: h2 at March 1, 2004 12:10 AMHarry,
Why don't you come on down to the Nomad so all my "affluent" customers and neighbors can laugh you out of the neighborhood for pretending like you know what you're talking about. Aside from having our neighborhood pegged VERY wrong, I'd say you have a pretty negative view of entrepreneurship, if you feel that all business owners, landlords and CEOs are simply trying "to get away with" as much as we can. I take it this means you are not and have never been a small business owner.
If your mistaken assumption of our neighborhood's affluence didn't give away the fact that you have never been to the Nomad, I would nonetheless be able to extrapolate that you haven't visited us in the last two months, since I made some much-needed staffing changes and completely revamped our menu. The menu is simplified and streamlined, but the all-new items are as delicious and classy as anything that we once offered. However, as a result of the changes we have been able to modify our pricing so that the median meal price is now $5.50.
So no offense Harry, but don't talk to me about what is expected of me. Small businesses are hanging on by a thread in this economy. Go pick a fight with someone whose business you've actually been to and are interested in supporting. I'm sure Safeway will be glad to continue providing you with your favorite food items, and you can feel good about crossing the picket lines to put your money in the hands of their corporate executives in exchange for your hormone-laden milk, genetically-modified fruit, and antibiotic-ridden meat. Bon appétit.
Christopher Waters
Nomad Cafe
$7.50 really isn't that much for a decent sandwich.
$7.50 will get you a tiny pastrami sandwich at Saul's deli, and if you want a decently sized sandwich, it'll cost you $10.
I've paid over $12 for a sandwich at Carnegie Deli in New York.
Nomad's prices seem quite reasonable to me.
Posted by: Sean Smith at March 12, 2004 02:51 PMi am really excited to find a sandwich without homones, sulfites you cheapys go get your chemically loaded sandwich some where else..... i am spreading the word first with my class at bauman college and my freinds marlese
Posted by: marlese at May 13, 2004 07:52 PMI'm laughing at the idea of the neighborhood around Nomad being "upscale"! It's across the street from the now-closed "Flints" and other low-tech businesses, etc. NOT a rich neighborhood. It is a bit pricey if you compare it to some of the other options in the neighborhood, but go up to the Temescal Cafe at 51st and Telegraph (also neighborhood)and you'll pay just about the same but with no internet access and a much less competent service. The only thing that have any problem with is the menu choices - I can't eat anything they serve due - it's all wheat based and carb intensive. I'd be more of a regular there if there were some cheese and veggie plates and salads rather than sandwiches, bagels and stuff with pitas. However I've worked in cafe food service planning and "green" catering and know what a PITA it can be to try to please everyone, so I don't take it personally - I just know a bunch of us would go there more if we had a couple of wheat-free or low carb options for lunch. For now I mostly just get coffee and hang out and chat.
I find people totally friendly - I've had my coffee preference remembered by staff. Even the time I was talking on my cell phone and got overenthused and loud and they had to come and ask me to shut up, it was done appropriately and courteously. I for one am a big Nomad fan and hope that people will try to see its good points as well as the economic necessities of doing business in 2004.
Posted by: Joy at June 12, 2004 11:40 AMSometimes I wonder why the world is so jaded. Then I remember. Nomad is trying to contribute in a way many are not in Oakland. They've made a choice to serve a specific population and hope that they are enough or that they bring enough others. The business model is more expensive than McDonald's as well it should be. It's probably built on the assumption that enough Bay area folks care about their health and environment. They will find out if people care with their dollars and not just their mouths and t-shirts. I'm doing everything I can to promote him and I'll be there next week for a meeting and will take my work crew there for lunch soon.
I work with small businesses all over Oakland and that area NEEDS a Nomad Cafe.
Posted by: Troy at October 31, 2004 07:46 AMI love the Nomad. You can feel their goodwill throughout their environment. The way I see it, my $7.5o for a sandwich is cheap for the amount of time I sit and enjoy their free wi-fi and cozy atmosphere. In fact, I feel happy to purchase numerous drinks just becase I can sit there for 10 hours wihtout feeling guilty for taking up space. My sugestion, if you are too poor to eat lunch there, go down the street and buy a slice of pizza for a couple of bucks, then you can come back to the Nomad for your beverage and relaxing atmosphere. Meanwhile, people who can afford it can do there part to support a business everyone can enjoy.
Thank you Nomad!
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