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The journey of Crescent City Cafe - from Pop-Up to Brick-and-Mortar
Renee chats with Adelle Bergman, executive director of Crescent City Cafe in New Orleans, on the 20th anniversary of the day she drove into the city with her Honda Accord to do Hurricane Katrina relief work. What started as a one-year commitment became two decades of community building through food.
Founded in 2009 by Adelle's friends as a bi-monthly pop-up breakfast in a church basement, Crescent City Cafe created dignified dining experiences for people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity. After learning about the pay-what-you-can model at the 2014 Denver One World Everybody Eats summit, they began the journey toward brick-and-mortar. Now, after navigating zoning challenges, finding the right space on Magazine Street, and educating neighbors about their mission, they're preparing to open a full breakfast and brunch restaurant while continuing their Saturday pop-up cafes.
The conversation explores the unique challenges of operating in New Orleans, from brunch alcohol culture to Mardi Gras economics to neighborhood fears about who will be sitting at the table. Adelle shares stories that reveal the cafe's deep impact on volunteers and guests alike.Throughout, she emphasizes that the cafe's strength lies in not defining people by their needs, but in creating space where everyone can eat with dignity and build community around the table.
Renee (Left) with Adelle (Right)
Adelle Bergman is the Director of Crescent City Cafe, a New Orleans nonprofit offering dignified dining for anyone experiencing food insecurity. Originally from Oklahoma, she moved to New Orleans over 19 years ago to support Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and never left.
During her early years in New Orleans, Adelle began volunteering with Crescent City Cafe, founded in 2009 by her friends as a volunteer-led, restaurant-style breakfast serving guests in need. In 2015, the Cafe was inspired by the pay-what-you-can model and Adelle stepped into a leadership role to help guide its growth into a full-fledged nonprofit.
Under her leadership, the Cafe has continued its long-standing tradition of serving guests twice a month and is now preparing to expand into a daily pay-what-you-can community cafe. It is set to open in the fall of 2026, marking an exciting new chapter in its mission to serve with dignity.
When not at the Cafe, Adelle stays active in the community as a member of the Rotary Club of Mid-City New Orleans and belly dances with the Shimmy Shakti Dance Troupe. She lives in Gentilly with her husband Michael and their two young daughters.
