Introduction to Conscious Plates
WOODLAWN — A South Side alkaline foods store is fundraising not only to avoid closure, but to sustain itself once its immediate needs are met.
Conscious Plates, 820 E. 63rd St. in Woodlawn, aims to raise $100,000. Half of the money will pay down debt and stabilize restaurant operations, while the other half will serve as a safety net for the business’s long-term future, founder and owner Latrell Garnett said.
The Fundraising Campaign
“We’re trying to remedy the situation and … pour into the business to where it can actually grow, not just get over this hump and then close six months later,” Garnett said.
The campaign had raised $2,030 as of Monday afternoon.
An alkaline bowl from Conscious Plates, 820 E. 63rd St. in Woodlawn. Credit: Provided
The Story Behind Conscious Plates
When Garnett started Conscious Plates in 2018, “it never was my intention to have a restaurant,” he said.
He was “at a crossroads” and in survival mode — without permanent housing and bouncing around short-term rentals, before staying with his cousin on the West Side. Across the street from his cousin’s home in North Lawndale was Barney’s New Life Health Foods, a Black-owned shop for alkaline and other health-conscious foods.
Garnett asked owner Raymond Barney to set up a table in back of New Life, where he began to sell meals free of soy, wheat, dairy and meat.
The Alkaline Diet
The alkaline diet — championed by Alfred “Dr. Sebi” Bowman — rejects acidic foods, or those with a pH level below 7. Fruits, legumes, nuts and vegetables are prioritized, while meats, dairy and processed foods are discouraged.
Garnett dove deeper into the alkaline lifestyle, following Bowman’s nutritional guide as he expanded from the New Life table to frequenting local pop-ups, selling meals from home and securing a spot at Washington Park’s Boxville market in 2019.
Challenges and Changes
Conscious Plates moved to its current home at the Woodlawn Station development in 2022 with a big boost from a $178,336 city grant.
Preparing alkaline meals is a time-consuming process, even when compared to typical vegan fare, Garnett said. It’s burned out the restaurant’s employees and contributed to the business’s struggles as, until recently, customers often waited for an hour or more for meals, he said.
The fundraiser comes amid other major changes at Conscious Plates. The restaurant recently closed Mondays through Wednesdays, and fried foods are off the menu — even though fried oyster mushrooms were its top seller.
Operational Changes
That’s partially to make the menu healthier, and partially because the frying station was one of the restaurant’s biggest pain points in terms of money and time spent, Garnett said.
With these operational changes, Conscious Plates can continue improving its wait times, which have stabilized to 30-45 minutes in recent months, and making life easier for its workers, Garnett said. He’s learned hard lessons from the restaurant’s early struggles, and now needs the money to continue applying those lessons, he said.
“Through our mistakes and the debt that’s accumulated, trying to make it week-to-week has caught up to us,” Garnett said. The $100,000 fundraising goal aims to “ensure that the restaurant can live on for years,” he said.
Community Support
There are other ways for neighbors to help Conscious Plates aside from donating funds, Garnett said. Some have donated books for customers to read in store or made testimonial videos to support the campaign. Another person donated a juicer, he said.
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