Hamilton’s 541 Eatery and Exchange set to reopen its doors next week

A Hamilton restaurant dedicated to giving back to the city’s most vulnerable is set to reopen its doors once again next week with a revamped business model and newly re-trained staff.

The 541 Eatery and Exchange on Barton Street will be welcoming customers back next Tuesday after closing its doors five months ago.

“We were seeing a lot of folks with complex needs. People who needed wound care, people who were experiencing the effects of addiction and things like that.” says Justin Eisinga of 541.

The business has partnered with St. Matthews House and the Canadian Mental Health Association to better help both customers and staff in need.

“We are providing comprehensive training to all our staff now. We are setting up de escalation training and mental health first aid training and getting our staff better support as well.” says Eisinga.

Alan Reid lives just a few minutes away from the cafe and has been a regular for five years before the sudden closure.

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“I don’t even want to think about that one,” said Reid. “It wasn’t good … wasn’t good at all. But they must have had a good reason for it.

A key feature of 541 is the button program it has instated to help those in need. When customers come in who are unable to pay, there is a jar of buttons available to act as a form of payment.

Each button equates to a dollar and everyone who enters has access to six every day. Those who come into the cafe are able to pay it forward by buying buttons.

Carmen Cooper who manages 541 says she’s looking forward to serving the community once again.

“I think the thing that makes it so exciting is that as we’re preparing we’ve had different people stopping by and so as they do we open the door and we’re able to talk to some of them and let them know. So their excitement feeds our excitement because that’s what it’s always been about here. It’s the community.”

The pay-it-forward cafe is now preparing for its holiday market set to kick off at 3 p.m. this Friday.