Portland State University
ER-T2-5: Sustainable Enterprise

Food For Thought Cafe is a student-led initiative located in the basement of our student union. The Cafe offers healthy, sustainability-minded food and is coordinated with a co-op model. A steering committee also incorporates at-large board members to help with decision making. Disposable materials are eliminated as much as possible, and recycling and composting are practiced diligently.

FFT's food options are generally offered at a low price: 2 large pancakes for $2.50, eggs and homefries for $3.50, and lunches ranging from between $3.50 and $5.50. Scones, desserts and muffins range from $1 to $3. They also serve organic Stumptown Coffee all day. Stumptown is a favorite local coffee company of Portlanders for the coffee's taste and the company's sustainability practices. Food for Thought orders pastries from local providers. Teas are organic and local when possible. The Cafe also offers Townshends Kombucha, brewed in Portland.

Goals

* Create a small, student run cafe up that embodies sustainability principles.
* Create a campus garden and/or improve on the existing one to provide some of the food for the cafe and draw on local, sustainable growers.
* Integrate food growing and cafe service into some courses/curricula.
* Enhance sustainability performance of all PSU food services.
* Increase student involvement in sustainable food issues and campus decision-making.

Food for Thought opens its space as a study and hang-out area for students. They also host a variety of speakers who often speak about sustainability. In addition, they rotate student art projects on the walls of the cafe.