Everybody Eats
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Diners, volunteers, partners, here are our frequently asked questions

Money, Donations, Tax Our Organisation Dining Experience / Restaurant Volunteering Partnering / Donating Food / Our Meals

What does Pay-as-you-feel mean?

Pay what you can afford. Pay it forward. Koha. It's all the same. We want our meals to be accessible to everyone and for cost not to be a barrier to having a delicious meal in a social environment. All contributions are greatly received and go towards our fixed costs such as rent, utility bills and core staff who support our volunteers.

How can I pay at your restaurants?

We accept cash, eftpos and payments online through our pay-at-your-table system. Please note that payment for our pay-as-you-feel meals is considered koha and therefore not eligible for a tax deductible donation receipt. If you'd like to make a charitable donation, please use our website Donate page or get in touch.

Are you a Registered Charity?

Yes. The Everybody Eats Charitable Trust has been a Registered NZ Charity since December 2018. Our Charities Number is CC56055.

Can I get a tax deductible donation receipt?

Yes. When you donate through our website you will automatically be emailed a receipt that is tax deductible. Please note, we are unable to provide donation receipts for koha/payments towards your meal in the restaurant.

What do you use donations for?

In order to provide the community with what can be free meals, we incur expenses much like other restaurants. We rely on donations to help us with things like; paying essential staff, covering rent and utility bills, buying supplementary food and maintaining our equipment.


How long have you been operating?

Everybody Eats was founded in June 2017

Are you a Registered Charity?

Yes. The Everybody Eats Charitable Trust has been a Registered NZ Charity since December 2018. Our Charities Number is CC56055.

Is everyone a volunteer?

No. Even though most of the people helping in our restaurants are volunteers (around 300 people a week), we do have some paid staff which enables us to provide a consistent, high quality service and maintain our sites.

When will you be coming to my town/city?

We have intentions to set up other pay-as-you-feel restaurants in other cities, but at this stage we are not sure when. We need to secure a suitable venue, reliable food source and funding to open a new location.

Do I need to be homeless or in poverty to come to a meal?

No. We welcome and encourage everyone to come for a meal. Many of our guests are not in poverty and pay for their meals, like they would at another restaurant. By coming for a meal you are also helping to prevent food waste and build community connections.

But if I'm not in poverty aren't I taking a meal away from someone who is?

No. We can only feed people experiencing hardship because we have paying customers who contribute enough to allow us to feed others. Having a broad mixture of people is also what makes our meals special. Every week we see people from different backgrounds engaging with each other, building trust and strengthening the community.

Can I bring my own alcohol?

No. We do not allow alcohol at our pay-as-you-feel meals. If we suspect you are intoxicated we may refuse entry.

How do I become a volunteer?

It's very easy, you can register here. Fill out the form, verify your email, complete your profile and you'll be helping us feed bellies, not bins in no time!

Is everyone a volunteer?

No, but most of the people you'll find working in our restaurants are. We employ a few people to manage our massive team of volunteers and to enable us to provide consistent quality meals.

I want to support you, how can I do that?

Fantastic! Please fill out this form.

How do I donate surplus food from my business?

If you have commercial, not residential surplus food that is still fit for human consumption we'd love to hear from you. Please note we can take products passed their 'best before' but not 'use-by' date.

Can I get a tax deductible donation receipt?

Yes. When you donate through our website you will automatically be emailed a receipt that is tax deductible.

Where does your food come from?

We receive donations of perfectly good food from businesses. It may be short dated, labelled wrong or they might just have ordered too much. Here are some of the organisations we work with: KiwiHarvest, New World, Daily Bread, Kaibosh, Lewis Road, Karma Cola. We also buy a small amount of food if we don't have exactly what we need, so we can create complete three course meals. Please note, we do not use food scraps in any of our meals. All our food is good quality and complies with safety standards.

I have allergies / special dietary requirements, can you cater for me?

Sometimes. We always have a complete, 3 course vegetarian option and on most nights can provide at least 2 courses for vegans, but we do not guarantee it. Because of the nature of the food we receive we also don't always cater to all allergies/dietaries. We can very often provide gluten free, dairy free and nut free meals, but not always. Speak to your server when you arrive.

Can I takeaway?

Yes. But you need to sit down and eat at least one course in our restaurant. If you do plan to take part of your meal away please bring your own containers.

Do you take reservations?

Yes, but only for groups of 6 or more. We serve people on a first come, first served basis. Sometimes we can get very busy, so there can be a wait, especially if you are dining in a group of 4 or more.

Can I bring my own alcohol?

No. We do not allow alcohol at our pay-as-you-feel meals. If we suspect you are intoxicated we may refuse entry.