Democratically run café opens in Ann Arbor

Espy Café, located at 404 W. Huron St. in Ann Arbor, is not only a new spot for locally roasted coffee and sourdough goodies. It’s also a business run as a democratic workplace, with employees making decisions on the menu, hours, staffing, and service.

“People have different jobs, but we’re all making decisions democratically,” says owner Peter Littlejohn. “We’re making all systems for the first time, so it’s a great opportunity for people coming on now to build a sense of ownership on projects.”

The café currently has four employees. 

“Everyone makes the same base hourly wage, including the owner,” Littlejohn says. “The hours you invest in by working there are being clocked, show up on a spreadsheet, and these total hours you work are your shares of equity. When we do profit distributions, they’ll be shared according to that percentage.”

It’s not only profit sharing that makes Espy Café different from other cafés and restaurants. It’s also the wages.

“We figure out what it takes to be at a higher-than-market wage. No tips,” Littlejohn says. “We believe the work matters and the workers matter and can’t be commodified.”

The model came about because of Littlejohn’s own experience working in cafés and restaurants. 

“The main motivation is that I’m a worker and I’ve always worked these jobs,” he says. “These jobs often come with a built-in time limit for how long you can work there. You don’t see many 40-year-old baristas unless you own your own shop. You can’t take on more. The owner does those things.” 

A democratically run café means people can take on work they’re interested in that falls outside their job description to help benefit the whole. It’s also about keeping employees over the long term. 

“If people are staying longer, they will build up meaningful investment,” Littlejohn says. “The work I put in would be reflected less and less in that spreadsheet. People’s experience of cafés and restaurants is defined by those who work there, so people who come to the café also feel the loss and gain of people who work there.”

Can the model be implemented by other businesses? Littlejohn says yes, but stresses that Espy Café is too new for him to recommend replicating its model wholesale. 

“We haven’t done it enough to know what we’re doing yet,” he says. “Most of us on staff would consider ourselves socialists. The only thing that gives things value is work. Everyone should have more control over their workplace because they’re the reason the workplace exists.”