Those in the restaurant industry have always faced unspoken challenges. Their stories are often kept behind the fold. Today, we’re hearing more personal accounts of wage theft, abuse, harassment, and a mountain of trauma in an industry built to nourish, celebrate, and commemorate. 

How does one server, one restaurant take on changing the industry when it is struggling? And are these longstanding faults part of the reason why? I’ve thought about this often throughout my career working in restaurants. This past year, I opened a restaurant with my longtime co-workers, and I still revisit these questions, not entirely certain of the answers or of our potential to make the impact we hope for despite the overall struggles of the industry. We opened Pidgin Cooperative (run by Seth and Zach Pacleb, two of Seattle magazine’s 2026 Most Influential picks) late last year, overwhelmed and tired, but quietly hoping our collective experiences and efforts will lead to greater change. Luckily, we have many role models in our friends and peers running businesses built on the shared goals of creating a more nurturing, collaborative industry. 

Photo by Conner Cayson

The turkey club at Conscious Eatery

There will be that moment in our constant search for the most provocative, mind-blowing dish when we think to ourselves, “How about a simple turkey club for lunch?” Conscious Eatery’s classic turkey club includes roasted turkey, bacon, romaine lettuce, Roma tomatoes, and a housemade aioli between Grand Central Bakery’s sourdough bread. Whether it’s a classic like the turkey club or a less conventional HLT (hummus, roasted Roma tomato, and romaine lettuce), Conscious Eatery donates a free meal for every packed lunch order. To date, it has exceeded 111,100 donated meals. 

Photo by Marc Paschal

Cajun steamed clams at Jude’s Old Town

Jude’s Old Town has been a Rainier Beach staple since 2014. It became a worker-cooperative in 2021, in the middle of the pandemic, when such a change added more risk to an already unstable time. Jude’s ethos is centered around creating a work environment where the collective members feel accepted and empowered. It shares its kitchen with Long Haul Mutual Aid Kitchen and also pays Real Rent to the Duwamish. Jude’s offers many Cajun classics like its grits plate, dirty rice, gumbo, and po’ boy, a real rarity in the Seattle food scene. The Cajun steamed clams, a new addition to the menu, are a staff favorite. Jude’s clams include cherry tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, and Cajun spices alongside a housemade focaccia. With a spiced clam broth that includes a splash of dry vermouth, you’ll want to have that bread on hand for dipping. 

Photo courtesy of Chu Minh Tofu and Veggie Deli

Mongolian “beef” banh mi at Chu Minh Tofu and Veggie Deli

Since 2011, Chu Minh Tofu and Veggie Deli has offered a large variety of plant-based Vietnamese dishes for the community, not just paying patrons but also those in need. Chu Minh’s offerings include a vegan buffet of Vietnamese dishes and a selection of plant-based banh mi. Recently, it added a new banh mi to its menu, a Mongolian beef banh mi with mock beef in a sweet and savory sauce with sauteed onions and peppers. The area around Chu Minh has long been considered unsafe and increasingly challenging for business owners, yet every Sunday, Chu Minh opens its doors to serve hot, free meals to those in need. Owner Thanh-Nga (Tanya) Nguyen calls her trusted volunteers “The Eggrolls,” a good reminder that when getting one of Chu Minh’s banh mis, eggrolls make a great accompaniment.

Photo courtesy of Salmonberry Goods

Seasonal sweet focaccia at Salmonberry Goods

From a hyperlocal pastry venture at a local farmers market, Seattle natives David Rothstein and Alex Johnstone grew Salmonberry Goods into one of the most compelling and impactful grocery and CSA programs in Seattle. Salmonberry is focused on working exclusively with small, independent farmers in Washington. Its access to locally grown fruits and produce means it can find new life for bruised or unsold produce in a jam-filled Valentine (a puff-pastry-style pop tart) or a farmer’s pocket, creating a pastry program with heavily seasonal bakes to encourage regional eating. Among that group of unique pastries is its seasonal sweet focaccia. This season’s caramel apple focaccia uses Pink Lady apples from Okanogan with chickpea miso coconut cream caramel. It is a fully vegan focaccia that is sweet with a sourdough tang, reminiscent of apple fritters. You can find this sweet-savory focaccia at Salmonberry Goods on weekends and at the Ballard Farmers Market on Sundays.

Photo courtesy of Patty Pan Cooperative

Veggie quesadillas at Patty Pan Cooperative

Seattleites know that the signature smell of our farmers market is quesadillas. Patty Pan Cooperative was founded in 1997 and became a worker-owned cooperative in 2013, converting a small business into a mini-democracy where team members have a say and a stake in its operations. On cold, rainy mornings, a warm, cheesy quesadilla right off Patty Pan Cooperative’s flat top is as nourishing as it is comforting. It’s generously stuffed with produce sourced from neighboring farmers. Patty Pan will soon bring this farmers market staple to the freezer aisle of PCC and other local stores so you can recreate those market flavors in your home kitchen. 

Tiffany Ran is a writer and the chef behind Babalio Taiwanese Pop-Up, a Taiwanese food pop-up, and the food editor of TaiwaneseAmerica.org. Much of her food exploration includes jumping between catering, restaurants, and the pop-up world. Her writing has been featured in Vice Munchies, Lucky Peach, Goldthread, JoySauce, Northwest Asian Weekly, and more.