Our History
In 1999, a group of students from Concordia University with a passion for vegetarian food and a dedication to anti-poverty politics came together to start what has since become a successful student and community based project. Their goal was to provide an alternative to the corporate run cafeterias on campus by creating a by-donation vegan lunch service.
The founding of the People’s Potato came at a time of growth in socially and environmentally conscious politics at Concordia University, with the emergence of a strong anti-capitalist wing in the anti-globalization movement. Not satisfied with merely discussing anti-poverty and food politics within the student body, the Potato’s original founders attempted to address these issues in a tangible way.
Since its inception, the Potato kitchen has grown from a small volunteer-run collective to a workers’ collective employing over 10 people. The organizational style of the collective is anti-hierarchical, as every worker takes part equally in decision making at weekly collective meetings. The kitchen tasks and all other roles are also shared in an egalitarian manner.
Apart from serving food to an average of 500 students and community members daily, the Potato maintains a vibrant educational program in the form of occasional workshops and a biweekly food bank.
Over the years the Potato has faced struggles surrounding funding and space. One of the first challenges involved the Sodexho/Marriot cafeteria service (since replaced by Chartwells). The People’s Potato had to gain its kitchen space through difficult negotiations with the Concordia administration, carving out the location for the kitchen from the abundant corporate space provided to Sodexho.
The project is funded by a levy in student dues paid to the student union. It is important to note that a project like the People’s Potato could not sustain itself without the funding from the student body and the countless hours of volunteer work put in by supportive students and community members. Thank you!
The founding of the People’s Potato came at a time of growth in socially and environmentally conscious politics at Concordia University, with the emergence of a strong anti-capitalist wing in the anti-globalization movement. Not satisfied with merely discussing anti-poverty and food politics within the student body, the Potato’s original founders attempted to address these issues in a tangible way.
Since its inception, the Potato kitchen has grown from a small volunteer-run collective to a workers’ collective employing over 10 people. The organizational style of the collective is anti-hierarchical, as every worker takes part equally in decision making at weekly collective meetings. The kitchen tasks and all other roles are also shared in an egalitarian manner.
Apart from serving food to an average of 500 students and community members daily, the Potato maintains a vibrant educational program in the form of occasional workshops and a biweekly food bank.
Over the years the Potato has faced struggles surrounding funding and space. One of the first challenges involved the Sodexho/Marriot cafeteria service (since replaced by Chartwells). The People’s Potato had to gain its kitchen space through difficult negotiations with the Concordia administration, carving out the location for the kitchen from the abundant corporate space provided to Sodexho.
The project is funded by a levy in student dues paid to the student union. It is important to note that a project like the People’s Potato could not sustain itself without the funding from the student body and the countless hours of volunteer work put in by supportive students and community members. Thank you!