When May Day Cafe owner Andy Lunning decided to hang up his baker’s hat and sell his Minneapolis business of more than 20 years, loyal customers worried the end was nigh for one of Powderhorn Park’s most beloved coffee spots.
But then the workers stepped up, striking a deal with Lunning to raise enough money to purchase the cafe at 3440 Bloomington Av. and turn it into a worker cooperative that would preserve the bohemian culture, neighborly vibes and creative pastries that customers have come to love.
This summer they launched a campaign to raise $250,000 to fund the gap between their private grants and loans and what it costs to buy the cafe and set Lunning up for the next phase of his life. The effort has been the talk of the Powderhorn Park neighborhood, raising $41,000 so far in modestly sized donations of $10-$100 from the workers’ friends and devoted regulars. Their first fundraiser was a backyard concert earlier this month. Benefit events to come will include speed dating. Fans of the cafe have contributed their skills to the cause, designing posters, filming video testimonials and calling local media.
Laura Kiernan, who performed in the concert with her band, said she volunteered for the campaign not only because she eats at the cafe at least once a week, but because worker cooperative values are important to many in their south Minneapolis community.
“You build a deeper bond between your coworkers, you get so clear on your collective self-interest in wanting something for yourselves, and then also for the community,” Kiernan said. “As someone that frequents May Day, I’m also going to benefit from this, knowing that it’s going to stay around for a lot longer.”
May Day employee Mira Klein said the staff have a lot of respect for Lunning, who worked long hours to keep the cafe running over the decades, as well as love for each other and Powderhorn Park.
“A lot of workers at May Day have worked there for a long time,” she said. “It’s been a big part of our lives. We care about the business, we care about the community it’s a part of, and we want to see it continue.”
The workers have been getting advice about forming a cooperative from Nexus Community Partners, a nonprofit organization that provides resources for community wealth-building, as well as other cooperative businesses including the Hub Bicycle Co-op, Happy Earth Cleaning and Seward Cafe. The other co-ops have shared perspectives on transitioning from a sole proprietor model to collective ownership and governance, developing bylaws around decisionmaking structures and seeking financial support.
