Alabare Café

Café Alabare is run by the Christian charity, Alabare based in Wiltshire, which supports homeless and vulnerable people with services including supported housing and employment.

The café offers training and work experience to 12 vulnerable adults five days a week.

Alabare was looking at options for setting up a social enterprise when the offer of taking over the café came up. They chose to grasp the opportunity, although they were aware of the potential risks involved.

Setting up the social enterprise

The first step was to get the trustees on board to drive the project and ensure it was a success. Next, the challenge, according to Alabare's Wiltshire Community Services Area Manager Mel Greenstock, was to learn business jargon related to the catering industry. Terminology such as ‘covers' or ‘footfall' was new language to staff used to working in the charity sector.

The café trains up the charity's clients to prepare and serve food. They join the project as trainees, with each individual receiving personalised training and also having the opportunity to work towards recognised accredited qualifications. The café is run by professional catering staff that work with the clients to pass on their expertise.

Working as a charity and a business

Alabare is aware of the advantages being a charity brings to the café, but does not rely on social conscience. Instead the café is run as a business and strives to deliver a consistently high quality service. Mel is aware that making a profit from a café is not easy, so constantly looks at ways to expand the business, including introducing takeaway and catering services.

They also look for ways to link the café to other Alabare projects. Their allotments, for example, which are looked after by clients with learning disabilities, provide produce for the café.

Alabare has learnt that the setting up of a social enterprise is a steep learning curve for charities not used to acting like a business. Mel says that much of the knowledge has been picked up on the job, learning as they go along, but that it was worth taking the risk of jumping in when the opportunity arose.

You can find out more about Alabare Cafe on the Alabare website.