Back in the fall of 2007 when we first opened, a young man named Mitch Manz used to come in with his mom and sit down at the counter at the end of the bar and talk to Danny while he prepared their food. Danny enjoyed talking to them.
A few months later, Mitch signed up for one of Borrowed Earth Cafe's "Uncooking" Workshops and learned how to prepare raw breakfast, lunches and dinners. The workshop came with a recipe book for everything they made at class, plus additional recipes and some references for other food preparation books and websites.
Fast forward 5 months.
Danny took a carry out phone in order from a customer named Mitch. With hundreds of customers, he didn't connect the name Mitch with the person who used to sit at the counter and who took the workshop.
When Mitch came in to pick up his food, he said, "Hey Danny. It's me, Mitch."
Danny looked at the Guest Check with the carry out order on it and rattled off the items on it.
The ticket said, "Mitch" on it.
Danny didn't know who it was.
"Remember me?" Mitch asked.
"Aw, I'm sorry, it's hard to keep track of all the customers by name..." Danny apologized.
"...I used to sit at the end of the counter? I came in here with my mom? We took your class..."
Danny only remembered one mother and son about this guy's age who'd taken the class together. This wasn't the same guy.
"...I lost a lot of weight," Mitch offered.
"Oh wow!" Danny said. He remembered Mitch now.
Mitch filled Danny in. After he'd taken the class, he'd started eating more raw food, and slowly lost his taste for cooked food. Once he went completely raw, the weight started melting off. About 75 lbs. of it. He did yoga, but mostly, it was the raw food. He shared some of his story and it turns out Mitch had realized Danny & Kathy's greatest hope: He'd learned to prepare food for himself!
Danny asked Mitch if he'd mind sending him a before and after picture.
"Sure," Mitch said.
How inspiring!
Do you have a story like Mitch's? Send us your story and your before and after pictures and we'll post it here.