3/8/2015

Karma Kitchen: Growing in Generosity

GuestsOffered:48,758meals
VolunteersGave:39,318hours

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KarmaKitchenfirstopenedinBerkeleyonMarch31st2007,byseveral
volunteersinspiredtoseedthevalueofa"gifteconomy".Ithasnow
spreadaroundtheglobe.
Runbyvolunteers,ourmealsarecooked
andservedwithlove,andofferedtothe
guestasagenuinegift.Tocompletethe
fullcircleofgivingandsustainthis
experiment,guestsmakecontributionsin
thespiritofpayitforwardtothosewho
willcomeafterthem.Inkeepingthischain
going,thegenerosityofbothguestsand
volunteershelpstocreateafuturethat
movesfromtransactiontotrust,fromself
orientedisolationtosharedcommitment,
andfromfearofscarcitytocelebrationof
abundance.

Stories From the Archives

WhenInternsTakeOverat
KarmaKitchen
KarmaKitchenStartsin
Indonesia!

Ourchainofgiftshasbeenable
tocontinuefor:
meals
Withvolunteerscontributing:
hours
(Numbersupdatedweekly)

BerkeleyReturns(witha
wow!)
KarmaKitchen2inTokyo
WhatMakesYouSmile?
InterviewwithRichard!
HowISpentMyJuly4th
BeforeIEvenStepIntothe
Restaurant
TheStuffofRainbows

KarmaKitchenisinspiredbythesamespiritofservicethatdrivesthe
beautifulworkofmanyorganizationsandindividualswhoselflesslygive
toothers.Thisrestaurantisanexperimentinbringingthatspiritof
servicefurtherintothemainstreamcommunityandininviting
everyonetojointogetherinacircleofgiving.
MostoftheworkersatKarmaKitchenarefreelygivingtheirtimeto
serveothers.Intheprocess,theyareintentionallycultivatingtheir
personalidealsofselflessness,grace,andgenerosity.Inthisway,
KarmaKitchenisa"schoolofservice"forallofuswhoworktomake
theguestexperienceherehappy,nutritional,andsatisfying.
Thefoodwepresentisofferedinthetruestspiritofgivingwithouta
pricetag.
Ourguestsbringthegivingfullcircle,bygivingintwoways.First,by
diningatKarmaKitchen,theyprovideustheopportunitytoserve,
whichwecherish.Second,theyhaveanopportunitytoparticipatein
keepingthispayitforwardcyclealivebycontributingforthenext
http://www.karmakitchen.org/index.php?pg=about

FromTollBoothtoKarma
Kitchen!
SometimesItTakesTime,
ButItWorks!
Lateststories>>

Related Projects
KindSpring
SmileCards,21DayChallenges,
andmore.
DailyGood
Abitofgoodnewseveryday.
KarmaTube
Videosthatstirthesoul.

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Karma Kitchen: Growing in Generosity

guestafterthem.

ServiceSpace
Thematrixofinspiration.

Bysustainingthiscafe,ourguestshelptoshapeafuturerootedin
celebrationofabundanceratherthanfearofscarcity,intrustrather
thantrade,insharedcommitmentratherthanselfishness,in
connectivityratherthanisolation,inparticipationratherthanexclusion.
WehopethatKarmaKitchenguestseetheirroleinthisenterprisenot
merelyasoneofconsumer,butasamoredeeplyinvestedparticipant.

Video
EachKarmaKitchenisuniquelylocalandyetalikeinitsheartcentered
approach.Mostofourlocationshavetheirownspecificvideosbuthere's
onevideothataccuratelyprovidesaflavorofatypicalKarmaKitchen:

[MoreVideos]

Press Coverage
KarmaKitchenhasbeencoveredbydozensofmediaoutlets,tweetedby
manycelebritiesandreceivedtopratingsonrestaurantreviewwebsites.
Belowisasamplingofthreepressstories:
SFChronicle

http://www.karmakitchen.org/index.php?pg=about

WashingtonPost

CSMonitor

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3/8/2015

Karma Kitchen: Growing in Generosity

KarmaKitchenHas
SelflessnessontheMenu
(introbyDeepakChopra!)

ServingupTrustand
Generosity(andin
Washingtonian).

ARestaurantwithNo
Checks

Additionally,we'realsoveryproudofthelaboroflovereflectionsthat
peopletendtowriteontheirblogsandlocalplatforms.Likewhena
volunteerwroteaboutTasteofaNewCounterCultureinanart
magazine,orwhenguestwroteaboutitinalocalfoodmagazine,or
whenUCBerkeley'sstudentpapercoveredDishingOutGenerosity.

Commonly Asked Questions

WhopaysformymealatKarmaKitchen?
AtKarmaKitchenyourmealhasbeenpaidforbysomeonewhocame
beforeyou.Sinceit'sagift,youcan'tpaythembackbutyoucanpay
itforwardbymakingacontributionthatwillallowfuturegueststo
experiencethesamegenerosity.Itisthiscircleofgivingthatallows
KarmaKitchentokeepgoing.
WhorunsKarmaKitchen?
KarmaKitchenisrunbyadynamicgroupofvolunteersthatassemblesat
therestauranteachweektopracticegenerositythroughthesimpleactof
servingameal.Amongthemareteachers,artists,doctors,students,
grandmothers,engineersandactivistspeopleoftencomebacktoserve
butit'sneverthesamecrewtwice!Formally,KarmaKitchenisaproject
ofServiceSpace,auniquenonprofitorganizationthatignitesand
supportssmallexpressionsofservicethroughtechnology.
HowisKarmaKitchenfaring?
Atthistime,KarmaKitchenisabletosustainitselfthroughguest
contributionsanysurplusthatisreceivedgoestowardssupportingan
arrayofgifteconomy/generosityprojectsthatworktowardsacommon
good.ManyofthespecialitemsyouseeontheKindnessTablearemade
availablethroughtheseprojects.(SeealsoMinahJung'sresearchpaper
onPayingMoreWhenPayingForOthers.)
HowCanIGetInvolved?
VolunteeringatKarmaKitchenisagreatwaytogetinvolved.Signup
andwe'llsendyoumoreinformation.Shareyourexperienceasaguest
withfriendsandfamilywhoyouthinkwouldresonatewiththeconcept
we'dlovetoservethemtoo!UltimatelyKarmaKitchenisaplatformfor
expressinggenerosity,soifyouhaveanypayitforwardideasthat
you'dliketosharewithus,feelfreetoreachout.
Whatisthegifteconomy?
Inagifteconomy,goodsandservicesaregivenwithoutanystrings
http://www.karmakitchen.org/index.php?pg=about

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Karma Kitchen: Growing in Generosity

attacheditisaneconomicsystemwhereitisthecirculationofthegifts
withinthecommunitythatleadstoincreaseincreaseinconnections,
increaseinrelationshipstrengthinthiscontext,hoardingactually
decreaseswealth.Atitscore,gifteconomyisashiftfromconsumption
tocontribution,transactiontotrust,scarcitytoabundance,andisolation
tocommunity.
WhatdoesittaketostartKarmaKitcheninmycommunity?
Typically,itrequiresacommittedgroupof45volunteersanda
participatingrestaurant.Takealookatourstartupguideandifyoufeel
likeyoucanbringKKtoyourcommunity,dropusanoteandwe'llpair
youupwithacoordinatorwhocanhelp.Youmayalsoliketotakealook
atthisvideoforadeeperlook:

05:58

HowcanIcontactyou?
Writetousanytimethroughouronlineform.

"Youmustbethechangeyouwishtoseeintheworld."Gandhi
FollowusonTwitterorFaceBook.

http://www.karmakitchen.org/index.php?pg=about

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