“Chaos Café” serves vegan fare near Cleveland High

By Rita A. Leonard

The Bee, Sep 5, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Chaos Café and Parlor recently opened at the corner of S.E. 26th Avenue and Powell Boulevard, facing Cleveland High. Shown here in front of an eye-catching wall painting are, from left, Manager Bobbie Davis, Server Orchid Jones, and Chef Stephanie Wells-Gray.

Rita A. Leonard / THE BEE

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Inasmuch as in the past couple of years THE BEE has profiled two previous restaurants in the small wedge-shaped building just across Powell Boulevard from Cleveland High, one might conclude there must be chaos there. One would be right – but not in the usual sense.

The “chaos” across from Cleveland High School this fall is actually the new name of the new restaurant in the space: “Chaos Café & Parlor”, newly-opened at the corner of S.E. 26th Avenue and Powell Boulevard.

The business is already open, specializing in vegan and vegetarian food, but it will remain to be seen after school has gotten underway how the high school students will react to it.

The restaurant’s mission, as the staff describes it, is to provide a healthy and entertaining place for people to “just be”, while enjoying “delicious, energizing, whole foods meals”.

“We want to create space for the Arts to meet the Eats; to support and hold events that help foster community and interpersonal connection,” says Manager Bobbie Davis.

Chaos has 3 chefs and 7 servers, who plan to offer brown bag specials for Cleveland High students, as well as meals for the public. Owner Marcee Meijer also operates “The Village Merchant Thrift Shop” on S.E. Division Street. Meijer has decorated Chaos Café with a colorful and funky collection of thrift store treasures, artwork, and furniture. “It just felt like chaos when we started,” says Davis. “We thought the name seemed fitting. We’ll paint the definition of ‘Chaos Theory’ up on our wall.”

The staff tells us it has created new combinations of foods to showcase freshness and palatability. Lunches feature the Nutty Beet Burger, a veggie burger supreme; and The Moroccan, which includes hummus, cucumbers, cheese, and assorted vegetables.

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