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Denise Cerreta, the altruistic entrepreneur who opened the first One World Café in Salt Lake City — and launched a national foundation that has fed more than 2 million people around the globe — was named the James Beard Foundation's 2017 Humanitarian of the Year on Tuesday.
The annual award is given to an individual or organization whose work in the food world has improved the lives of others and benefited society at large.
In 2003, Cerreta opened The One World "Everybody Eats" Café at 41 S. 300 East, envisioning a restaurant without menus or set prices. Customers simply chose from the offerings prepared fresh each day and paid what they felt their meal was worth.
The idea was unique and quickly gained national attention.
Three years later, Cerreta handed day-to-day operations of the Salt Lake restaurant to a local chef and launched the nonprofit One World Everybody Eats foundation (OWEE). She relocated out of state and traveled the country speaking about the concept and helped people start similar community kitchens in other cities.
While the Salt Lake City restaurant struggled financially and ultimately closed around 2010, Cerreta's foundation thrived. She now leads the OWEE board of directors, which oversees 65 cafes around the world that have collectively served 2 million meals, according to James Beard Foundation president Susan Ungaro.
"Denise's pay-what-you-can community cafes are transforming the way community restaurants can help others who can't afford dining out to enjoy a healthy, good meal," she said.
As the OWEE founder, Cerreta also hosts the annual One World Summit, which brings together speakers to help support and inspire café owners and the public to end world hunger.
"I will gratefully accept this award on behalf of all the visionary café owners, their communities and the board members who have dedicated so much to even make this possible," Cerreta said in a news release. "My hope is that this recognition will fertilize the seed in the hearts of others who also want to eliminate hunger."
Cerreta and other James Beard award winners will be honored at a May 1 ceremony in Chicago.