There might be “no such thing as a free lunch”, but diners at one Dublin café were dining on the house on Friday in exchange for pledging an act of kindness.
The promises came in thick and fast at the pop-up Kindness Café in Swords as customers lined up to tuck in to their complimentary lunch.
Pledges, both scrawled and delicately written out, ranged from the quotidian to issues of public concern. There were ambitions of regular bed-making, healthier diets and toy-tidying.
One pet owner promised to, “say good morning to my dog each day.”
Someone had pledged not to kill any spiders, whilst another took an oath to be, "nice to my parents forever." One passer-by documented his intention to, "buy my lovely wife some flowers tomorrow" and many pledged to smile at a stranger. Others had vowed to donate to the Irish Cancer Society.
"I'm writing 'give money to homeless people'," said nine year old Danielle from Lusk, "so that they can get a home".
The initiative was backed by UK-based Gosh! Foods, which supplies plant-based products to supermarket chains.
Launched in late July in London's South Bank, the Kindness Cafe has moved about to accumulate pledges of goodwill. "Someone in London offered to give blood," Gosh! brand manager Jenny Robertson recalled.
Completed pledges can be shared on Instagram, and those who do so are automatically eligible to win a month's supply of food from the company.
Following its Dublin lunch debut, the Kindness Cafe can next be found in Liverpool on August 24th and 25th.
