Cafe Gratitude Closing With Gratitude for 10 Years in Berkeley

Cafe Gratitude, the 10-year-old hippie Berkeley spot that serves its raw, vegan food with a side of affirmations, is closing at the end of 2015. Owners Matthew and Terces Engelhart want to focus on farming and the six other Southern California locations, Berkeleyside reported. The Engelhart’s assistant told Eater that they own Be Love Farm in Vacaville, and are "really committed to regenerative agriculture and ways to help create a better planet." While the SoCal Cafe Gratitudes are run by the Love Serve Remember foundation, the Engelharts themselves ran day-to-day operations at Berkeley, so will be shutting it down to focus on Be Love full-time. The Engelharts will remain responsible for company culture at the other locations.

It hasn’t been all peace and love for Cafe Gratitude, which in 2011 announced it would shutter all seven Northern California locations because of a pricey labor lawsuit. When all was said and done, the Berkeley outpost survived, at least for another few years of thriving soup, fulfilled salads and accepting sushi. The Berkeley location will close at the end of the year.