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Pay-What-You-Can Restaurant To Stay Open Thanks To Donations

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4) - The only nonprofit restaurant/cafe in Northern Colorado will stay open after community donations of nearly $47,000 kept it from closing its doors.

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The FoCo Cafe opened four years ago and is located at 225 Maple Street. Last month the restaurant set a goal of raising $50,000 by the end of October to help keep its doors open.

"We have been overwhelmed with the generosity and support of our community, Executive Director Mallory Garneau said in a statement. "Every donation makes a
difference."

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Previously completely run by volunteers, they now have four employees and the overhead costs that come with it. They also have to pay sales tax, regardless of whether people pay for their meals or not.

The money was raised with a membership plan that includes a recurring monthly donation. The donations include two one-time donations of $10,000.

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The restaurant has also seen an increase in lunch traffic and meal donations. In September the average donation per plate went up to $6.29 from $3.83 in August.

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If you would like to help the FoCo Cafe, you can drop off food donations at their location, or make a monetary contribution online at www.FoCoCafe.org/Member.

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