Anti-capitalist cafe with ‘pay what you can’ policy shuts down after a year.

The Anarchist Coffee Shop in Toronto to Close After One Year

The Anarchist, a coffee shop in Toronto, Canada, that operated on a “pay what you can” system, will be closing its doors at the end of the month. The owner, Gabriel Sims-Fewer, made the announcement on the company’s website, expressing his appreciation for the opportunity to experiment with “living and working in ways that don’t enthusiastically embrace the pure misanthropy of capitalism.”

Anti-Capitalist Business Venture Fails

Sims-Fewer blamed the failure of his anti-capitalist business venture on the lack of “seed capital” from “ethically bankrupt sources,” which left him “unable to weather the quiet winter season, or to grow in the ways needed to be sustainable longer-term.” Despite this setback, he expressed gratitude to his customers and plans to use the inspiration and education gained from The Anarchist in future projects.

On a frequently asked questions page, Sims-Fewer explained that his “pay what you can” pricing scheme for drip coffee was meant to make coffee more affordable. However, the model gradually lost him money, and he hoped that the losses would be counterbalanced by more expensive items. He also expressed his frustration with the inaccessibility of specialty coffee to working-class people and the inhospitability of the industry to everyone but the white upper middle class.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Sims-Fewer also acknowledged his privilege as a “white, cisgender” man and vowed to hire people outside of his “particular intersection of privileges.” He plans to make them equal owners and follow their lead in making the place less white-male-centered than the industry standard.

Impact of Government Lockdowns and Vaccine Mandates

Aside from the apparent lack of access to capital faced by The Anarchist, businesses in Canada have been severely impacted by government lockdowns and vaccine mandates over the past three years. Sims-Fewer announced on the coffee shop’s social media last March that proof of vaccination would be required for dining in the restaurant.

The Anarchist is not the first small business founded on explicitly leftist principles to recently fail in spectacular fashion. Mina’s World, a coffee shop in Philadelphia known for its LGBTQ brand identity, shuttered last year after employees revolted against the owners and demanded that they “redistribute” the company and its resources.

• ACAB
• The queen was sh** and should have died sooner

Other posts included a depiction of police officers hung by the neck under the slogan “ACAB,” as well as a statement which read “the queen was sh** and should have died sooner,” an ostensible reference to the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who served as the monarch of Canada and other commonwealth realms.

Despite its short-lived existence, The Anarchist has left a lasting impression on its customers and the community. Its commitment to anti-capitalist principles, diversity, and inclusion will continue to inspire future business ventures.

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