A place for all people

The Little Grill Collective sits on Highway 11 north of downtown Harrisonburg. Inside, the cozy atmosphere is alive with music, food, wild decorations, and most importantly, people.

The Little Grill Collective is a community for all. Churchgoers in suits and high heels, college students groggy from partying, and old geezers all come for pancakes and omelets at Sunday brunch. On Friday night white collar, blue collar and no collar at all listen to the latest bluegrass band play on the restaurant’s tiny stage.

The Little Grill has been a restaurant since the 1930s. Last June it became a collective, an enterprise both owned and operated by its workers. Formerly owned by Ron and Melanie Copeland, they relinquished their ownership and sold shares to employees who wished to become collective members. Currently there are fourteen members in the Collective, including the Copelands. All the members participate in the operation of the Little Grill Collective and share duties and responsibilities.

Fresh home cooking is central at the Little Grill. Guacamole, fried plantains, pancakes and vegan barbecue ribs star during nightly specials. The restaurant offers dinner specials Tuesday through Friday night: all you can eat Mexican and Jamaican Nights, Breakfast Night and Down Home Night. Equal Exchange fair trade coffee comes in quintessential diner mugs. Many of foods at the Little Grill are vegetarian and vegan. Despite this, the hamburger is still a popular menu item.

On Mondays the Little Grill opens for a different type of dining. Monday lunches are free for all. This is not your stereotypical soup kitchen–there is no standing in lines or bad food. It’s more like a big family lunch. Everyone comes to hang out, talk, meet new people, cook food and enjoy a good meal. Anyone who comes gets served.

The music is always on. Bands play weekly–local bands, famous bands, big and small. When the crowd is large enough, workers pull the chairs and tables outside to make room for dancing. On Thursdays, anyone can play for Open Mic Night. The tunes on Mexi and Jamacian night are just what one would expect: salsa and irie reggae.

The restaurant may not be big, but it holds a lot of life. The interior of the Little Grill matches the mix of its patrons: a random mix of tables, artwork, toys, a bicycle, plants. Everything fits together in some perfect, thrown-together way.

"A Place for All People" is part of a photo-documentary series by students in Documentary Production, a class taught by Jerry Holsopple and Jennifer Mace. Students are also filming a documentary about the Little Grill Collective in addition to still photograhy. More photography features will be printed in future Weather Vanes.