For Mira Klein, it was a dream come true.
Having worked at many neighborhood coffee shops, Klein had seen how valuable these spaces are as a place for people to gather and connect – and she longed to bridge this value she saw among customers with her experience as a worker and her desire for more emphasis on relationships and agency in the workplace.
A year after she started as a barista at May Day Cafe in 2022, the cafe’s long-time owner announced he was selling the South Minneapolis mainstay. That opened the door for Klein and other employees to transition May Day Cafe from a sole proprietor to a worker-owned cooperative.
“It’s a dream to be part of a world-building project like this,” Klein said. “I have a real sense of purpose, knowing I’m contributing to something that reflects the world I want to be a part of.”