June 22, 2026: In Minneapolis, one cafe has embraced the community mindset of no one should ever go hungry.
Earlier this year, Post Modern Times cafe in South Minneapolis made a move that in a capitalist society is quite radical. Instead of charging their patrons, they opt for a donation-only system.
Owner Dylan Alverson made a bold statement, a reaction to the recent violence against the community. In a post from the official Post Modern Times Instagram account, Alverson openly expressed his reasoning: This is a direct response to the federally sanctioned attacks on people within the community.
The cafe’s messaging has not wavered since the establishment’s inception. According to their website, Post Modern Times provides “homemade food regardless of income in South Minneapolis.” The homepage goes on to implore visitors to assist the restaurant in their efforts to “stop monetizing humanity one meal at a time.”
The community has responded with overwhelming support. In an interview he had with The New York Times, Alverson stated his dedication to truly changing his community and the world for the better has netted him success he never saw as a traditional business owner.
“I have succeeded more than I ever did when I was running a conventional business employing 22 people,” Alverson told the outlet of the donation-based model. “I think that’s proof that something is wrong.”
The proof is in the profits, and this Prophet is the proof.
Nearly half of those who patronize Post Modern Times do not pay. While a few within the neighborhood have expressed concern for the possibility of “criminal activity,” those making this bold experiment possible are dedicated. Former “violence interrupter” at George Floyd Square Derek Armstrong volunteers his time to ensure the restaurant is adequately safe for staff and visitors.
In fact, everyone who has a hand in the cafe’s success are there on a volunteer basis.
“Hours will not change but our menu will be smaller,” Alverson said in his Instagram post. He goes on to mention that his staff have also agreed to work from shared tips and the donations of people within the community.
Since 2011, when the cafe was simply known as Modern Times, Alverson has used his business to enhance the well-being of the world around him. When the cafe’s name evolved to include “Post” in January of this year, their entire model for serving the community changed to do more than talk the talk. Alverson truly walked the walk, and continues to do so, serving with his heart and not his wallet at the forefront. He was and remains unequivocal in his stance against the perpetrators of some of the city’s most vicious attacks on its people.
“Amidst many strategic pivots and determined leadership, Modern Times has been barely soluble since 2020,” he stated in his post. “Therefore, for the remainder of the government occupation, we will function as a free and donation based restaurant, Post Modern Times. Everyone is welcome EXCEPT ICE.”
It has been a long-standing conversation that many people have had, essentially, for centuries. Forcing people to pay to partake in the foods of the earth that were provided to us for free is an ongoing battle in an ever-increasing money-first mindset within society.
In Alverson’s own words from the Times, “What I realized was happening right away is that we’d created a place of economic equality that doesn’t really exist in a business setting. What can we learn from this?”
The Lesson for Our Post Modern Times
The lesson here is that we are the ones who set the standards by which we choose to live. Society is an amalgamation of ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives. It is a collective of people, above all else.
The adage may have lost some if its significance from overuse, but there are those, like Dylan Alverson, Derek Armstrong, and everyone at Post Modern Times who are living examples of being the change you want to see in the world.
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