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Eat-In Ideas

An Eat-In is a potluck. It's open to everyone. It's a reason to share real food. Beyond those guidelines, the purpose of your Eat-In is up to you. Make it specific to your local community and the challenges you're facing right this moment. Try to be fun, positive and inviting.

Here are some suggestions:

The simplest, and maybe the best, Eat-In invites everyone to bring a dish, come to the table, meet new people, enjoy a meal and start sharing ideas about changing the way we eat. The "Sunday Supper" Eat-In that took place on March 8, 2009 in San Francisco is an example.
A "Get Cooking" Eat-In invites people to sign up for a "cooking team" and then to gather in someone's kitchen to cook a large dish together and bring it to the potluck. One large group can cook all the food for the Eat-In, or several cooking teams can work separately and then meet up at the Eat-In table. The very first Eat-In, where 250 people gathered in Dolores Park during Slow Food Nation, is an example.
A School Lunch Eat-In invites parents and kids to sit down and share real food as a way of rallying support for reforming the National School Lunch Program, which is part of the federal Child Nutrition Act and is up for reauthorization in September 2009. This Eat-In could take the form of a protest, a signature-gathering and letter-writing event or a public rally to raise awareness.
A Local Food Eat-In invites everyone to bring a food with ingredients sourced locally or a food that was historically eaten in your area or by the people of your community but is now in danger of being lost and forgotten.
A "Support Your Community" Eat-In invites a group of people to share a potluck or another community-based meal at a locally owned restaurant, farm, grocery store, business, food bank or shelter in order to build support in the midst of this very difficult economic climate. The "Save Floridita" Eat-In that took place in Harlem on February 14, 2009 is an example.
A Farm Eat-In invites people to a potluck on a family farm, where they will have the chance to shake the hands of the people who grow their food. The food can use ingredients grown on the farm, and the event can include a tour of the farm or can include a sit-down meat-and-greet with the farm's workers.
A Campus Eat-In invites college and university students, faculty and administrators to take the Real Food Challenge and bring real food to their dining halls. Have it in the most public place on campus, and make it fun.
A Block Party Eat-In invites every household on the block - or every apartment in a building - to bring a dish and sit down together at a long table on the sidewalk or in the middle of the street.
A Farmers' Market Eat-In invites farmers and their customers to sit down for a meal together at the end of the weekly farmers’ market.
A Community Eat-In invites neighborhood organizations to each gather ten of their membership or constituents for a city-wide potluck to talk about the challenges they're collectively facing. The Eat-In that took place in front of San Francisco City Hall on November 22, 2008 is an example.
A “Parking Day” Eat-In gathers a group of people to take over a parking spot on a busy city block, feed the meter and sit down to begin eating or handing out food to passerby. Check out Rebar's (PARK)ing day for inspiration.

Got an idea for an Eat-In? Write to let us know.

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1. Guide to Organizing an Eat-In
2. Ideas for Eat-Ins
3. Talking Points
4. The Pledge
5. The Eat-In Manifesto