Magnolia Cafe in Dunn, NC | Where Dignity Meets Delicious

When you walk into Magnolia Cafe in Dunn, North Carolina, you are greeted by a friendly kitchen and the smell of comfort food. A mural of colorful magnolias covers one wall while another showcases the phrase, “Where Dignity Meets Delicious.” Despite being a new cafe, it feels like a place where the locals are regulars. Behind the locally sourced ingredients and the display case of banana pudding, there’s something that makes this cafe extra special. Magnolia Cafe operates on a pay-what-you-can model, offering a high quality and delicious meal to anyone who walks through their doors.

Magnolia Cafe is just one ministry of Dunn United Ministerial Association (D.U.M.A.). The cafe’s website states, “We were born from the vision of D.U.M.A., with a simple mission: to serve good food with dignity and warmth.” All are welcome at this restaurant, no matter what financial situations they face. There are prices on the menu, but visitors are welcome to order a meal for their families and not pay. Paying for a full meal gives back to the restaurant, and if customers leave a tip or pay extra toward a community gift card, it goes toward paying for the meals of those who need them. Folks are also invited to volunteer at the cafe or food distribution center next door so they can feel the meal is earned.

“You don’t know when you’re in there, who is eating free, or paid for their meal,” said Reverend Grayson Dye, treasurer of the board, and co-pastor at Divine Street. “It feels like a restaurant. It has real silverware, you’re being waited on at a table, it’s very nice.” She recalls that making the space feel like a real restaurant was a top priority for D.U.M.A. “Finding the right chef, staff, the right volunteers, the right people, who get the vision and have the passion has made a huge difference for us. Chef Tyler’s enthusiasm, his desire to be there every day, the way he makes every person feel like the best guest, the hospitality level is unmatched, and it’s not just because we are in the hospitality industry, this is ministry. I think it changes the way you show up in a space and it changes the way that people feel, so I think finding people who have the heart for that ministry is very important.”

Many pay-what-you-can models find it hard to stay afloat, so how does this work? A big factor is that it is a mission of many, not one church or one business owner running the cafe. D.U.M.A. is comprised of 28 affiliated local churches of different denominations. A lot of churches fuel their ministries with their own people and space, but all of these churches pool their resources. While one church may struggle to find volunteer staff to work throughout the week, there is no shortage of help when 28 churches reach out to their congregations. 

Like every restaurant, this one has had its challenges. They shut down in 2025 to revamp their operating hours, staff, menu, and space. In a situation that may have closed the doors permanently, D.U.M.A. and Magnolia Cafe moved forward. Reverend Dye said, “I think people could have been very discouraged by that, but we had a nonprofitable season where we learned and just got launched, and at least developed a proof of concept, closed and really pushed a new relaunch, and invested in a bigger sign, refreshed menus. I think that shows a lot of the drive and passion and why it’s needed.”

Todd Snyder, executive director of D.U.M.A., noted the importance of the food. “We wanted to create a menu that appealed to everyone: fresh, savory, healthy and not so healthy. We hired a Chef instead of a cook, so he could develop a menu that tasted good and met all of those criteria. We feel very blessed to have Chef Tyler as he is constantly thinking about new and great things to offer all of our patrons.”

Community buy-in is a key support of the cafe. The cafe was intentional about reaching out to fellow business owners downtown and inviting them in for a meal. Menus can be found throughout the shops downtown, encouraging folks to visit. It’s been made clear that this is a cafe for the town and is a true restaurant. They source food from local farms and bakeries when they can and had a Dunn artist create their magnolia mural. They cater for local events, offer call-in orders, and have a buffet and party room for hosting church meetings and large groups. Along with serving food, they offer culinary classes to youth and seniors, as well as pop up classes for adults.

These services allow people of all walks of life to experience the cafe as a community staple, bringing in both folks who want to enjoy the delicious food at full price and those who need a free meal. Growth has been slow and steady, and that’s how they want it. While their pay model is on their website, it isn’t clearly advertised at the restaurant. This ensures they have enough food and support for guests while they continue to grow. “We are using close to $100.00 a day now in meal gift cards, and about 50% of those recipients are able to volunteer time for their meals instead of just getting a free meal,” Snyder explained.

D.U.M.A. IT Director Jamie Roberts and Executive Assistant Jennifer Convery reflected on their experiences with Magnolia. “There have been a couple of times where someone is outside and they say ‘hey man, do you have any food and can help out,’ and I can say ‘come with me and get whatever you want.’” Convery added, “and to have a full menu, not just a bowl of soup.” 

Magnolia Cafe is a great example of a dignified community space that is both supportive of and supported by the community. If anyone is curious about recreating this model elsewhere, Snyder recommends reaching out to similar nonprofit kitchens around North Carolina. F.A.R.M. Cafe in Boone, “Feeding All Regardless of Means,” and A Place at the Table in Raleigh provided guidance for Magnolia Cafe with their own pay-what-you-can experiences. And of course, all are invited for a meal at Magnolia Cafe and they are happy to share insights they have gathered thus far. 

Across the county, more of these restaurant models are serving their communities. One World Everybody Eats, supports startup cafes through community and partnerships. They offer a strong network, as well as excellent resources to learn about food security in your area, connect with other cafes, and launch when you are ready.

D.U.M.A. has other missions in Dunn, including a food pantry and health clinic next door to the cafe. All of these missions are interconnected to serve people holistically. Our next blog will dive into these services and their partnership with Campbell University. All of these missions are centered around dignity and respect, and when asked why it is fundamental to D.U.M.A., Snyder stated, “We are all brothers and sisters in Christ and we should treat each other the way we would love to be treated. Everyone deserves dignity and respect no matter what their circumstances.”