The legacy of May Day as a space dedicated to food and community is decades old. Starting in the 1970s, the very same building was home to the Powderhorn Co-op, a cooperative grocery store. In the mid-1990s, the building was purchased and turned into May Day Cafe by its first owner, Mala Vujnovich. When Mala decided she was ready to sell, Andy Lunning - a then-employee - purchased the Cafe in 2003.

In the fall of 2023, May Day Cafe owner and baker Andy Lunning decided he was ready to give up the life of a baker and announced his intention to move on to May Day staff. Between then and now, workers have stepped up to organize the purchase and transition of the space in order to operate May Day as a worker cooperative!

Over the last many months we've engaged in deep conversation with each other and Andy to explore: is this the right direction for the Cafe? Is this the right direction for us? Eventually we were able to enthusiastically say: YES! We firmly believe that a worker cooperative is both the structure that we want to work in, and the one that is best suited to continue May Day’s legacy as a community gathering place that serves delicious and affordable food. Simply put, a worker cooperative benefits us all.

Since we made this decision, we dove deep into educating ourselves on worker cooperatives, building trust with each other, and learning to navigate the complex logistics of large business and real estate transactions. We’ve spent countless hours working with our legal and technical advisors, writing grant applications, and building out the internal infrastructure to make this all possible. We have already accomplished so much - and now we are asking for community support to get us to the finish line!

Our goal is to raise $250,000 to close the gap between our grants and loans and what it will take to buy the business. The funds will allow us to close on the purchase, start paying down the mortgage, and, most importantly, keep prices low for you and compensation livable for us. We’ve already got so much in place to make this vision a reality. Now we need your help to fund the purchase of the Cafe!

We can’t imagine Powderhorn without the cafe and we plan to keep it that way - it's where Powderhorn gathers. You have been supporting the Cafe for decades. You make this space come alive with conversation and keep the line oh-so long. Now, we are committed to maintaining the legacy of May Day by sustaining us as worker-owners and continuing to serve you, our community. Thank you for your support!

Help May Day Cafe become a worker co-op

By May Day Cafe Co-op

Help May Day Cafe become a worker co-op

Keep May Day Cafe in community hands! Help it become a worker-owned business