Celebrating Our Neighborhood Businesses
WBNA knows that the strength of our community is created not just through the support we lend each other as neighbors, but also through our thriving community of local businesses. These businesses and their workers are an essential part of what makes West Broadway the place we call home. This became all the more clear during the pandemic, when WBNA helped our local businesses adapt quickly through our Take It Outside Grant Program. A year later, we're thrilled to see so many of our favorite local spots continue to thrive and bring our community together.
This fall we wanted to spotlight some of our beloved neighborhood businesses, so together we can learn more about the folks who keep them running and how our community can best support them.
Local Business Spotlight: White Electric
One of the most exciting stories of 2020 came from neighborhood cafe White Electric. Last year, the employees of White Electric became the first unionized cafe staff in the state. Then with the help of a community fundraising effort they took the next step, buying the shop and turning it into a worker-owned and run cooperative! We have been so excited to watch one of our favorite neighborhood cafes become a trailblazer for worker power and collaboration in Providence. We took the opportunity to speak with Chloe Chassaing, one of White Electric’s worker-owners, and ask a few questions about this transition.
WBNA: How do you see White Electric relationship to the community and its role in the West End/Federal Hill? Has this changed since the cafe became a co-op?
WE: As a longtime neighborhood cafe for over 20 years, we see our role within the community encompassing both continuity and change. You'll still find your favorite lattes and salads, and hopefully you'll also welcome the ways in which we adapt and grow now that the cafe is a worker-owned cooperative. Many of us are active in the community and live within walking distance of our workplace, some of us grew up around the corner. We are a majority women / BIPOC / LGBTQ+ co-owned business. So we are invested in our place within the community, not only as a business, but because individually and collectively we want to be a part of actualizing ideas for a more compassionate and egalitarian society. We can try to do this in our little corner of the neighborhood by showcasing a successful democratically-run business, continuing to provide a variety of tasty and affordable menu items, while also serving as a hub for exchanging ideas, sharing culture, displaying local art, and boosting other community-centered initiatives.
WBNA: How have you been adapting to the ever-changing situation with Covid-19?
WE: Like all businesses, and in particular food service establishments, we continue to adapt to the ever-changing situation with Covid-19. We have been offering expanded sidewalk seating and take-out dining, and we appreciate the mutual warmth of daily interactions with our customers, even if we are all wearing masks. One thing Covid has done is allow many of us to re-evaluate our priorities, so even if conditions aren't exactly as we wish they could be, we are still finding ways to share little moments of joy and build community within this current situation. Because we have a transparent and democratic decision-making process, everyone who works at the cafe has a say in what policies we decide upon. Because all staff are involved in the day to day cafe service work, we are directly affected and responsive to changing conditions, and we have the flexibility to collectively change course as needed, according to our cafe's goals to keep our customers, co-workers, and community safe.
WBNA: What do you envision for the future of White Electric? Any goals or dreams you want to share?
WE: What's great about envisioning the future of the cafe is knowing that it will be shaped by the ideas and work of many different co-workers in the years to come, and so much is yet to be realized! Already, we have shared visions for how the cafe might grow, both as a business and as a community hub, and it's a great asset to have each other's feedback and commitment as we consider the possibilities. A more general goal is that we'd like to be a visible representation of an alternative business model-- a democratic workplace where co-workers own and run the shop. We hope to show that this is not only possible but could be a more sustainable model at addressing equity, opportunity, and longevity within our local business sector.
WBNA: Is there anything community members can do to support White Electric or the cooperative?
WE: As far as community support, first of all we can never mention enough just how grateful we are for all the people who helped make this worker-owned cafe a reality! Hundreds of people donated and encouraged us, which was so amazing, not only because it gave us the funds to purchase the business, but also as a sign that folks believe in what we are doing and have a desire to support worker-owned business models generally. We appreciate community members continuing to support us by coming to our cafe for delicious food and beverages, knowing that their purchase is helping to sustain living wages, a democratic workplace, and community engagement. We welcome anyone interested in learning more about our worker co-op model to get in touch—whether collaborators looking to start something new, co-workers interested in transitioning their workplace, or singular business owners considering options for a rewarding legacy by selling a business to employees. On a more systemic level, we encourage more support for worker-owned cooperatives, both financially and logistically, from city, state, and federal entities, especially now as there are resources available and a sense of urgency to reimagine economic redevelopment. We're excited to be a part of the co-op economy in Providence and hope to see it continue to grow!
For more information on White Electric visit http://whiteelectriccoffee.com/.
Do you run a business in WBNA's focus area? Fill out the form below for a chance to be featured in an upcoming Local Business Spotlight.