User:Somnulatorium/Sandbox

A Volxküche (Vokü for short) is kind of soup kitchen operated by self-managed spaces of the leftist scene. The name is derived from "Volksküchen," or people's kitchens, which are the historical soup kitchens that serve the poor. "Volks" has presumably been changed to "Volx" in order to avoid the negative connotations associated with the far-right's use of the word.

The autonomous spaces in which a Vokü might be held are pubs, youth clubs, self-managed residential buildings, or one of the few remaining squats. Indeed, Voküs are considered a vestage of a squat scene that has otherwise withered under mounting political and economic pressure.

Voküs are usually held weekly in a given location. In a large city, it can be possible to eat in a Vokü every night by knowing where the next one will be held. Voküs are in general open to the public. While some bear a sign that says "members only," this is due to legal reasons only. Since 2011, German law requires Volxküchen to meet the same health and safety standards as commercial restaurants.

The food is vegetarian and often vegan. Much of it is donated or purchased at or after expiration dates. Some is recovered from supermarket dumpsters. The food is served for free, but a donation is expected. The convention in the 2000s was 2€ per meal. For legal reasons, the cashbox is not managed. The food is prepared by unpaid volunteers. In many locations, guests are expected to wash their own dishes. The dishes are a mismatched collection of donated objects.

Volxküchen have three noteworthy qualities: (1) they are economically viable, despite being technically free. (2) At 2€ per meal, a guest eats more cheaply by eating out than eating at home, due to economies of scale. (3) Volxküchen provide a recurrent excuse for like-minded people to meet and network.