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(From left) Jason Alley, Michele Jones and Cate Hawks of Canteen
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The logo for the summer camp-inspired concept
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Pennants on the wall, trophies and other memorabilia capture the camp theme inside the Ashland eatery.
Summer camp embodies the idea of camaraderie, special bonds formed over sticky s’mores fingers, sack races and sunsets. It’s often where leadership and confidence are gained, and valuable outdoor skills from building fires to tying ropes — it also does the soul some good.
“Camp is a great way to make connections,” says Cate Hawks, owner of Ashland Coffee & Tea, who has operated the space for the last three years. “We want this [new venture] to be that way.”
With the help of longtime friends and fellow change agents Jason Alley and Michele Jones, Hawks will debut Canteen, a not-for-profit, camp-themed eatery benefiting youth, in the cafe space on Friday, Aug. 21.
“The tagline for Canteen is ‘Eat Well, Do Good,’ ” Alley says of the new restaurant concept. “You can be successful and still do a lot of good for people. That was the real catch for [Michele and me], the opportunity to do this thing we believe in.”
Hawks is also a firm believer in doing good, with over 30 years' experience in social work. The founder and former director of NewFound Families Virginia, a resource for families looking to adopt or foster children, she previously initiated a program through the organization where families bonded over camp experiences. COVID-19 presented Hawks a chance to rethink her vision of Ashland Coffee & Tea.
“We wanted to create support for families in the Hanover and greater Richmond area and thought it would be cool to combine a restaurant approach with a social cause,” she says. “The whole thing is to build community.”
This venture marks a new chapter in the careers of Alley and Jones, a dynamic duo who together established the now shuttered Southern institution Comfort, which in its last two years donated all proceeds to Feed More, as well as the East Grace Street restaurant Pasture that closed in June of last year. The two are co-owners of Bingo Beer Co. in Scott's Addition, and Canteen is one of the first projects from the consulting business they launched last year, Alley/Jones Hospitality.
Michele Jones say the interior of Canteen will feature shelves lined with trophies and old camping photos and present a lodge and sleep-away camp aesthetic. “This cemented the deal,” she says with a laugh, pointing to the vintage pennants.
The menu, spearheaded by Alley, includes omelets — an Ashland Coffee & Tea customer favorite — for breakfast, as well as grain bowls made with Byrd Mill grits, steel-cut oats or brown rice; breakfast sandwiches and a smoked salmon bagel; and sweet and savory Belgian waffles. Lunch features a chopped salad with green goddess dressing, roasted turkey with Duke’s mayonnaise on Texas toast and other sandwiches, grain bowls, and BBQ tofu or citrus-braised pork tacos. And yes, Alley’s famed pimento cheese will be available.
At the register, guests can purchase a meal for others through a pay-it-forward system. A board at Canteen will feature badges marked with the names of meals, and those in need can simply present a badge at the counter for a free meal.
“This is in the DNA of Ashland, the idea that we can help children and families, create a fun space and new traditions post-COVID, and continue paying it forward,” Hawks says. “Ashland loves to give, our customers love to give, and they’ll have the opportunity.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being hungry,” Jones adds. “Come in, sit down and have something to eat. It may be you’re just having one of those days where maybe you don’t have money this week, or maybe next week you can pay for it for someone else.”
All profits from the restaurant will go toward the newly established Canteen Foundation, with Alley, Jones and Hawks serving as board members of the nonprofit. Initially, the program will benefit the Ashland and Hanover community, and eventually the entire region.
“We grew up really poor, so there was no going to summer camp,” Alley says. “If we can do something to either offer somebody a positive experience we were never able to have … then we're all in.”
The counter-service eatery will feature socially distanced tables with room for about 20 to 25 diners. A large, dog-friendly outdoor patio with jumbo-sized games will offer a view of downtown Ashland and the nearby train tracks.
“Why not take this opportunity with amazing partners to say, let’s re-create what people really want right now, which is to get outside, socialize in a safe way and have fun with fun food?" Hawks asks. "It’ll never be exactly like it was, but we're building a new tradition here, a tradition of community socialization and doing good things for people.”
Canteen will be open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
