Help Us Rebuild Understory

In 2021, during the height of the global Covid-19 pandemic, our all POC collective set out to address the rampant exploitation of restaurant workers. We dared to create a vibrant and cooperative restaurant model to build economic equity and uplift underrepresented backgrounds and traditions.

We have put our politics into action by providing pay-what-you-can donation-based dishes, supporting emerging chefs of color, facilitating resource sharing, centering political education, and building partnerships that amplify our shared political values and uplift queer and trans communities of color. We need your help fundraising for our next phase.

We arrive today with heavy hearts as well as deep gratitude for our community, to announce that Understory will be closing our operations at 528 8th Street. Our final day of service at our current location will be June 30th.

We are fundraising for $150,000+ that will go towards:

In this critical moment, we seek our community’s support as we are collectively committed to supporting our workers’ financial stability through this transition and working towards a new location.

You will be supporting a space for shared liberation, co-created by family, friends, neighbors, artists, cultural workers, teachers, healers, organizers, and beyond – all uniting in the struggle for a better world.

We are truly inspired by the gracious support of our community these past 4 years and we are asking for you to join us in this urgent moment by donating, sharing and helping us amplify this campaign.

With love, gratitude, and in solidarity,

The Understory Worker Collective