The Table Cafe: is a non-profit, social enterprise that serves locally grown, fresh food and operates under a pay-what-you-can model in a low-income neighborhood.

We grew up in Pewee Valley, Kentucky. At age 14 Larry (on the right in the photo) had a small grass cutting business. One day Kathie hopped on her lawnmower and showed up for work, fully expecting half the pay, of course. She remembers it as a friendly merger; Larry, on the other hand, refers to it as a corporate take over. It was the first of many entrepreneurial adventures we would share together.

Seven years later we married and moved to Owensboro, Kentucky where we started our family with the birth of our daughter. Soon after she arrived, Larry was given the opportunity to pastor three small churches in Breckinridge County. Saying yes to this opportunity opened the door to our life in Christian ministry. From 1981 to 1997 we served four rural churches and two suburban churches. During this time we added two more children to our family, both boys.

While serving a church located in Prospect, Kentucky we were introduced to the Baird Street Mission in the Portland neighborhood, which is located in the northwest corner of Louisville. Having spent all our lives in rural areas, the city seemed foreign and intimidating, yet intriguing.

In 1997 we began working full time at the Baird Street Mission, known today as the Portland Promise Center, where we enjoyed creating a number of youth and community development programs. It didn’t take long for us to fall in love with the neighborhood and in 1999 we moved to the city and made Portland our home.

Portland, with its rich heritage and unique sense of community, has provided a great place for our family. We are surrounded by beautiful neighbors and have made some lifetime friends. In spite of all the wonderful things Portland offers, our neighborhood is also faced with a number of challenges that break our hearts.

Along with our friend John (on the left in the photo), we have spent countless hours sitting on our porch discussing these challenges and wondering how we could respond. Last fall someone sent us a video about a pay-what-you-can restaurant. All three of us said with a great sense of confidence, “This is it! This is the right response and now is the time!”

In 2015, The Table Café will open its doors. We are looking forward to creating a place where everyone has a seat at The Table!

The Table Cafe is a non-profit, social enterprise that serves locally grown, fresh food and operates under a pay-what-you-can model in a low-income neighborhood.

We started this restaurant in response to several issues facing our neighborhood: food insecurity, lack of employment, lack of access to affordable healthy food, and a limited number of places for the community to gather.

Our biggest challenge will be overcoming the social barriers that hinder people from outside our community from exploring and discovering the beauty of the Portland neighborhood. We are hoping to create a space where people on both sides of the 9th Street divide can come together, enjoy each other’s company and dine with a purpose.

This loan will help us prepare the dining area with tables, chairs, and decor.

Materials-Table Tops 350.00
Neighbor Labor 400.00
Bases-Low (18) 449.10
Bases-High (4) 150.56
Chairs (50) 959.00
Stools (4) 491.20
Shipping 550.00
Counters 1,200.00
Painting Walls 250.00
Decor 200.00

TOTAL $4,999.86