The menu for Saturday's meal, the group's second in the series, is mostly vegan and gluten-free: biscuits and gravy, gooey cinnamon rolls and a tofu frittata served with mimosas and bloody Marys.
Last month, organizers welcomed roughly forty late-breakfast fans, and they've amped up promotion through fliers and social media since then. The meals are open to all, and all proceeds, based on a sliding scale of $5 to $12 donations (children eat free), are funneled back to the collective space and the radical-friendly organizations who work inside of it and act as the meal's cooks and hosts, including Denver Anarchist Black Cross, P&L Press, the P&L Press Infoshop and the Colorado Street Medics.
"We were thinking of a fun way to bring more people into the space, something relaxing and fun rather than something overtly political," organizer Zoe Williams says. "A lot of people who use the space and are around it are activists with a lot of commitments, so we thought it could be nice to have an event where all those super-busy people could come and relax and socialize. Plus we're not scary, so we want people to feel comfortable coming by."
Brunch begins at 11:30 a.m. and lasts until 2:30 p.m., though doors stay open for discussion and leftovers. After you enter and pay, diners are seated at tables, where they can order from the day's menu; the food arrives within a few minutes. Williams, who is a street medic, organized the menu to include options for people with diabetes and gluten allergies, in addition to plant-based diets. The only thing completely off the table is lunch.
"Brunch is my favorite meal because when I have the time to eat brunch, it means I'm going to have a good day," Williams says. "And so will you if you come to the Secret Café. We have it down to a well-oiled machine, and you can help support the Denver community organizations instead of a chain restaurant. Plus, there are cinnamon rolls."
Below is the promotional flier for the event:
