A Common Mission

At Common Ground, we believe that being a food service provider today means owning a much larger responsibility to the health and well-being of people and the world in which we live.

Through worker democracy, we are dedicated to promoting the well-being of our environment, our community, and our fellow workers - especially those who face further oppression on the basis of race, gender, ability, sexuality, or other marginalized status.

We also aim to strengthen solidarity and relationships with other organizing workers, established cooperatives, and our neighbors to further build a world where the needs of people are prioritized over the profits of business.

Our beverage, food, community events, and other projects are crafted to the best of our abilities with all of these objectives in mind.

Our Story

Common Ground Cafe Cooperative was born from the collective efforts of Common Ground Workers United, the former organized employees of Common Ground Bakery Cafe. We are passionate baristas, bakers, cooks, and community members committed to each other and the people we serve. After we had been in the process of unionization, the cafe suddenly closed down in July of 2023, shocking the entire staff and community. With the help of the Baltimore Roundtable for Economic Democracy and Seed Commons, as well as the Hampden and Greater Baltimore community, we were able to bring back our beloved cafe under collective ownership within just 2 months.

Before we became a cooperative, Common Ground had been a staple of the Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore for over 25 years. We started as a small cafe on the Avenue, and moved down the street to our bigger location on Chestnut Ave at the beginning of 2022. We have steadily grown to be Hampden's favorite coffee shop and community gathering hub.

Successful Together

We are so fortunate to be a part of the Hampden, Baltimore community that has supported us and continues to do so while we endeavor on this path to a brighter future. Without all of you, we could not be working to accomplish our mission and so we are also always looking for ways to support our neighbors.

We succeed together, caring for and trusting in one another, and together we can impact a greater change for the world at large.
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© Common Ground 2024