Minneapolis – Today a majority of Café Ceres baristas voted ‘yes’ in their union election, winning representation with UNITE HERE Local 17, Minnesota’s hospitality and craft beverage workers union. Café Ceres is part of Daniel del Prado’s prolific DDP Restaurant Group.

About 30 baristas work at the four Café Ceres locations across Minneapolis; in June, a supermajority called on the employer to respect their decision, voluntarily recognize their union, and negotiate a contract. Baristas say they deserve better from one of the Twin Cities’ top hospitality companies on issues from respect and stability to pay and benefits. 

Café Ceres baristas voted 88% in favor of unionizing, despite a persistent anti-union campaign by the employer. Now, workers look forward to negotiating and winning a collective bargaining agreement that will improve working conditions and ensure the café’s ongoing success for everyone. 

“I feel really proud today,” said Mariam Karkache, Café Ceres lead barista. “For too long my work has been dismissed as unskilled, and baristas like me disrespected and undervalued. But I’ve found the path to get the dignity and stable career I’ve always deserved — and that’s through a union. I hope this sends a message to other service and restaurant workers in the Twin Cities and beyond about what we all deserve.”

At Colita, also in DDP Restaurant Group, workers voted in their own union election on July 18 but the final vote tally there is still pending – the NLRB has not yet set a hearing date to resolve provisional ballots challenged by the employer. Colita workers remain committed to improving their jobs and overcoming the company’s efforts to prevent them from unionizing.

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UNITE HERE Local 17 is Minnesota’s hospitality workers’ union, representing over 6,000 workers in hotels, airport restaurants, sports stadiums, craft beverage makers, university cafeterias, and more.