Saskatoon coffee shops trade diners for donations

Saskatoon coffee houses City Perks and Sparrow are closed to in-person dining right now.

“The decision was, because of COVID, we didn’t feel comfortable encouraging people to gather right now,” explained manager Tania Friesen.

The coffee houses are still allowing guests to pop in and take away, or order online for curbside pickup.

Instead of having guests in the cafes, they’ve decided to fill the tables and seating with donations for the Saskatoon Food Bank. Customers have been encouraged to drop off food items, and Friesen said they have been very generous so far.

“We are running out of table space. I’ve actually started boxing some things to make some more room. People are being amazing! People are showing up with boxes of food,” she said.

The food bank is in great need of non-perishable food items like stews, hearty soups, fruit juices, pasta and canned fruits and vegetables. Baby formula is another of its most-needed items.