Spoken Cafe Serves the Community with Pay-What-You-Can Meals, a Sustainable Ethos, and Louisiana Spe

WTTW / by Daniel Hautzinger / February 4, 2026

On a wan Monday night in late January, even the snow seems tired of the cold, protesting the loss of its fresh whiteness to sad, dirty gray by squeaking and sighing under booted footsteps. But inside Spoken Cafe, weathered wood, the aroma of spices, and even the occasional rumble of the ‘L’ through the pressed tin ceiling overhead offer a cozy counterpoint to the frigid darkness outside as Sidonie Gaude greets a handful of guests and her husband Will Goodwin portions servings of beef and vegan shepherd’s pie into to-go boxes.

This polar stretch of winter is the hardest time of year for restaurants and cafes, with reduced sales just barely covering payroll until the weather warms and people go out again. But Goodwin and Gaude, the owners of Spoken, aren’t charging for dinner. Since November, they have been hosting community suppers on Mondays where the meal is pay what you can. Any proceeds go to a different food pantry every month; on this night, the $350 of donations went to Ravenswood Community Services, which runs a food pantry and community kitchen. (Patrons can also donate during Spoken’s regular hours.) Read More Here.