Moon Rabbit Cafe: The First ‘pay what you can’ cafe in Nevada
By: Paolo Zialcita | Reno, NV | December 15, 2016
For Moon Rabbit Cafe, the dining experience is literally priceless.
Established in January 2015, the restaurant situated in the basement of the Reno Buddhist Center has adopted the “pay what you can” business model. The cafe stays afloat through volunteer work and donations made during their bimonthly meetings. Moon Rabbit Cafe is also the first restaurant to adopt this format in Nevada.
Moon Rabbit Cafe is more than just a “pay what you can” restaurant. The goal of the cafe is to cause positive change within the community using, in their website’s words, “compassion through food” and using locally sourced foods.
Reverend Shelley Fisher, a resident priest at the Reno Buddhist Center, believes the establishment of Moon Rabbit Cafe is rooted in Buddhist philosophy.
“To produce this wonderful restaurant where we serve people is just a very compassionate act. It’s very Buddhist,” said Fisher.
Moon Rabbit Cafe is slowly becoming a popular event in the Reno-Sparks area. The most recent meetings have had over 250 attendees. Connie Klooster, the volunteer coordinator of Moon Rabbit Cafe, believes it will only go up from here.
Due to the increase in popularity, the temple within the Reno Buddhist Center is converted to a waiting room on dinner nights. Guests are free to roam the temple or watch a video about the “pay what you can” format of Moon Rabbit Cafe.
Regardless of growth, Moon Rabbit Cafe has no intention to move to a bigger location.
“We can’t accommodate more, so we’re never going to get bigger. We will never outgrow this space, because this is the space we want it to be in,” said Klooster.
A large contributor to Moon Rabbit Cafe’s success is the rotating cast of guest chefs and cuisines. Each meeting brings a different cuisine to the table.
The Dec. 10 gathering, named “Spicy Indian Winter,” featured an Indian cuisine prepared by guest chefs Nick Purewal and Riverside area restaurant Shawarmageddon head chef Jay Modha.
Their first ever gathering on Jan. 31, 2015, was served by Rapscallion Seafood House chef Adam Bronson, a co-founder of Moon Rabbit Cafe, who served dim-sum inspired dishes.
Modha believes his work through Moon Rabbit Cafe helps people of all socioeconomic statuses.
“I think it’s nice for any individual to be able to get some sort of a special meal. Whether it be through finances, or just a lack of community surrounding that individual, a lot of people won’t have that opportunity,” said Modha.
Moon Rabbit Cafe will not turn anyone down who desires a meal. If a person cannot afford to pay with money, they can instead pay with service.
“Anyone that works or volunteers gets to eat,” said Klooster.
Volunteer duties include kitchen prep, dish washing, and serving tables their drinks and meals.
With over 50 volunteers, Moon Rabbit Cafe has volunteers of all different backgrounds.
“I’m going to say the oldest [volunteer] is probably 80,” said Klooster.
Some volunteers work at Moon Rabbit Cafe to fight hunger and poverty in Reno, like Carly Andrus.
“I’ve always been really interested in the idea of food insecurity in our local and regional area. I feel like this is one of these opportunities to reach people who wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to have a really good meal, a three course dinner,” said Andrus.
Although Moon Rabbit Café is the first restaurant in the entire state of Nevada to adopt this format, it is far from the first to arise in the United States.
The format became popular when One World Cafe opened in Salt Lake City.
Since opening in 2003, One World Cafe has spread to numerous locations, as well as inspiring similar restaurants around the country. Unlike Moon Rabbit Cafe, One World Cafe’s locations are open every day.
One World Cafe preaches a similar message as Moon Rabbit Cafe. They aim to promote locally sourced food and above all, a strong community.
This emphasis on community in “pay what you can” restaurants is apparent in Moon Rabbit Cafe’s actions. Their dining room is set up in a way that promotes interaction.
“The idea is to create community. That’s the idea behind how the tables are set up, with 12, kind of family style that way,” said Klooster.
Andrus, who started out as a guest before volunteering, has watched the community prosper and grow since Moon Rabbit Cafe’s inception.
“I’m always amazed at how many people that I know or friends of friends that get the word and they all ended up showing up at the same time. It’s just a really good place for gatherings of this community,” said Andrus.
Although Moon Rabbit Cafe is underneath the Reno Buddhist Center, there is not an active effort to spread the Buddhist religion. Reverend Fisher thinks that people will trickle down into the temple if they are interested.
“We’ve had some interest falling back into the temple. I wouldn’t say a lot, but maybe like ten percent of the population comes to eat here, we might see them come to a service or get involved with in different classes,” said Fisher.
The Reno Buddhist Center, located in Midtown, offers services every other Sunday. They also hold classes to teach Buddhism and yoga, amongst other activities.
Moon Rabbit Cafe serves dinner every other month, with a different cuisine every time. The recommended donation is 5 dollars for one person, ten dollars to help someone else eat.
The Experience at Moon Rabbit Cafe
For the Dec. 10 gathering at Moon Rabbit Cafe, the theme was “Spicy Indian Winter.” The food was exquisite, however the experience was worth so much more.
The night started out with waiting in the converted temple. The temple’s walls were decorated with art, which were purchasable. The price was merely “pay what you feel it is worth.”
I was then escorted inside and seated at a table. To my right was a father with 4 children. To my left, a group of elderly people. The populace of the dining room was small in comparison to the numbers they gain through the night, however the white noise was nearly deafening.
The starter was Alootikki, an Indian potato cake, with sweet onion chutney and Raita, a yogurt sauce.
The starter was accompanied with a drink. The choices were chai latte, assorted teas, or mango lhassi.
I went with the mango lhassi, which is a mango flavored thick, yogurt drink. The drink was served by a young girl, who also brought a chai tea latte to my girlfriend, which she spilled over the table. Her mother apologized and brought us a paper towel.
Shortly thereafter, our starters were brought to the table. I got tikka masala over aromatic basmati rice with a side of freshly baked rotti. My girlfriend got full plate of gujarati daal also over rice and rotti. Looking back, I wish I got hers.
The meal was delicious. The highlight was the rotti, which was still hot and soaked up the sauce from the tikka masala. However, I am not a spice guy. My mouth was on fire.
At some point, a professor whose class I have taken sat across the table from me and we shared a conversation.
As Carly Andrus said, “It’s just a really good place for gatherings of this community. Reno is just a small little town. You run into everyone here.”
Overall the experience, which can cost as little as 5 dollars per person, is worth much more. Moon Rabbit Cafe is somewhere to go for the experience, not just a meal.
