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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 17, 1977)
Zoo Zoo’s: Restaurant goes co-op As I stumbled through the multi-colored former gas station early Tuesday morning a dark haired woman cooking omelets behind the counter smiled and of fered me coffee and breakfast. I gratefully accepted and slowly began to wake up as Roscoe and Jesse, two members of Zoo Zoo’s cooperative, began to relate the history and philosophy of their res taurant to me. Zoo Zoo's is a vegetarian and natural foods restaurant that shifted into a worker-owned, worker-controlled co-op only fif teen days ago. It took three months to get things together such as legal research, investiga tion of other co-ops and a loan to buy the business from the owner. The twelve workers that went together on the cooperative ven ture reached deep for collateral. We put up stereos, bikes, cash, cars, musical instruments and nearly everything else we owned to obtain credit," says Roscoe. "We got credit through OUR and had a great time doing business with them because they're a cooperative lending institution that makes loans to low income people or people who don't have the collateral that a bank would ^ri require. According to Roscoe, things went smoothly with OUR because of the similarity in business hilosophies held by the lending -op and Zoo Zoo s workers, he philosophy we hold is one of total involvement. We have to get involved with other co-ops, with the neighborhood, with the sys tem, he says. "For two-and-a half years Zoo Zoo s was Cosmic Hippie ., too concerned with self. Under the previous owner, it was definitely a 70s restaurant: too much into the Great Capitalist Structure." What they re trying to create is a combination of a '60s and 70s restaurant with emphasis on emo tions. feelings and the realization that there are other existences. "We want to create a spirit of ac tivity and involvement," he says. Of the twelve workers compris ig the Zoo Zoo's co-op, seven re men and five are women. They range in age from Kim, the youngest at 19, to Lorenzo, the oldest at age 30 All have worked at Zoo Zoo's for the past four to six months. During that time each came to the realiza tion that the only way to run the restaurant is to run it themselves. Workers shun traditional role I NR!ife Photo by Kim Smith Soup s On! Zoo Zoo's, a vegetarian and natural foods restaurant, opened for business after a recent take-over by workers. The co-op, prior to the management change, was known as the Cosmic Hippie. Thus started the co-operative ef fort. Most of the workers believe that if you work for a boss, you re always going to withhold a little energy. When you're working for yourself, however, you put out to natural foods, they use an abso lute minimum of canned foods in their meals. They have two full time buyers who shop for fresh vegetables, cheeses and eggs everyday. Workers say that day By M1CHEAL MERBACK Of the Emerald tally. On Wednesday Zoo Zoo s holds a weekly board of directors meeting. At this meeting the schedule is made out, the fi nances discussed and the general business of the restaurant in spected. The twelve workers then decide on any changes to be made in trying to determine the destiny of their restaurant. Because Zoo Zoo s features to-day shopping means they are able to maintain a great variety in their menu, featuring a large selection of omelets, a different soup each day and a dinner spe cial every night. ‘‘Some people eat here three times a day,'' says Roscoe as he continues telling me about the operation of the res taurant. “When we started the place, we tried to put an emphasis on the Workshop for counselors set Playground leaders, day camp counselors and others in search of new ideas for summer programs can get help at two summer work shops at the University June 11 and July 16. The first workshop will help counselors prepare for the sum mer. The second will offer a boost after counselors have used up all of their ideas. Topics to be covered include liability, first aid, music and storytelling and arts and crafts. Water activities, field trips and games will also be covered. The games will include low or ganized and minimal equipment games, and new games. New games is the name for an 3 OVERNIGHT C NO MINIMUM COPIES UNBOUND KINKOS 1128 Alder 344-7894 Also in Corvallis emerging style of play that en courages cooperation and flexibil ity. The games are not limited to a specific age or group, and the philosophy behind new games is to turn spectators into particip ants. The workshops are being co sponsored by the University Park Management Department and the Oregon Park and Recreation So ciety. Cost will vary with the number of persons attending as a group. It ranges from $10 for one person to $5 per person for groups of more than 16. The fee covers both ses sions. Applications are now available from the University Recreation and Park Management Depart ment, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403. Applications are due May 25. mistakes of other co-ops. The present culture doesn’t put enough emphasis on the signifi cance of events throughout his tory. We re trying to change that.” ’According to Roscoe, they used two successful co-ops in the Eugene area as models for their operation. “The Homefried Truck Stop and Hoedads are both excel lent examples of co-ops here in town and we re keeping their op eration in mind as we make deci sions concerning our business. He also added that they main tain an open file as a resource for anyone interested in starting a co-op. About half-way through our conversation, a 70-year-old man. wandered into the restaurant. Roscoe called him over to our table for me to meet. His name was Ted and he turned out to be the landlord of the building Zoo Zoo's occupies. Ted has owned the building for some 40 years. He smiled as he tried to remember some of the history surrounding the building. “This building was built in 1920 and when I bought it in 1937 it was a Union Oil Company filling sta tion. It was then one of the first filling stations in Eugene. When Union Oil sold out in 1941, it was converted into a King Cone ice cream stand. That was when soft ice-milk was first invented. During the 60 s it was converted into a fast foods Mexican restaurant. In 1971 it became part of a chain of hamburger stands known as Lighter Brown, Darker Brown. Three years ago it became zoo Zoo s and on May 1 this year it was bought out by the workers. "We re seeing a lot of definite improvements already," says Roscoe. “We re trying to run a res taurant where the community can get together, exchange ideas and express themselves. Starting in June, in fact, every Thursday night will be poetry night. We've gotten together with a group of poets who are a spinoff from Kesey's Hoo-Haw and each Thursday night will be devoted to one particular poet and his works." A number of local musicians come to Zoo Zoo s to play at vari ous times. Some of them will be at a celebration of Zoo Zoo s on May 18from7p.m. till 1 a.m. at W.O.W. Hall. “It s kind of a coming out party saying that we re part of the com munity now,' says Roscoe. “It’s a party and dance featuring the musicians who are regulars here. I finished my omelet and emp tied my coffee cup as Roscoe concluded his story about Zoo Zoo’s. “Ours has been a story of a struggle and we think we re win ning. We re now a part of the community and we re a place people can come and interact with others, both intellectually and so cially. We have kind of a magical quality, with people singing and dancing, reading poetry, and dis cussing philosophies. Besides all that, Roscoe, you have great omelets. The Bug Cunic, Ihc. 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