Buy a bowl of ramen and someone sleeping rough gets a hot meal too; that's the concept behind Jefes Ramen, the Stockport pop-up at the Swan With Two Necks about to roll out across the country.
It's “Buy 1 Give 1 Ramen” and for every Ramen sold a hot meal is delivered to people experiencing homelessness through local charities and shelters. The man behind the concept is Jerelle Okoro, better known as “Jefe”, a former pro basketball player (Leicester Riders) turned Barber who also went through a period of homelessness himself.
"If this works, I would have gone from losing everything to helping vulnerable people all over the country."
The concept
Jefes Ramen operates as a pop-up in pubs who have a kitchen sitting idle and on a night that's usually quiet. Jefe brings the food, the team and the customers making it a win win for everyone involved.
It’s proved to be a massive hit at the Swan With Two Necks, with the last event pre-selling 50 bowls of Ramen (and 50 hot dinners supplied to the homeless) before they even opened; the pub also reported it as one of their most popular nights and an uplift in bar sales on the evening too.
"I don't want to build something that relies on continually asking people to donate. You buy a bowl you wanted anyway, the pub fills a quiet night, and somebody who's sleeping rough gets a hot meal."
382K reasons
Off the back of the Stockport nights, Jefe is now in talks with several pubs and charities to roll out the concept across the country including venues in Stockport and Manchester, Salford, Birmingham, Bristol, Newcastle, Sheffield and London. It isn't live in all of them yet, but the plan is for each one to pair a local pub with local homelessness charities.
"Every city has a pub with a quiet night and a kitchen doing nothing, and every city has people with nowhere to sleep. That's the opportunity, I just need the kit to get there."
The ‘kit’ being a mobile kitchen, which is where the Crowdfunder comes in. It's called 382k Reasons after Shelter's estimate that around 382,000 people are homeless in England and the long-term aim is to feed that many people. The target is to raise £8,000 closing on 27th October.
From £5 haircuts to ramen
You might know Jefe from the barber's chair. He opened Jefes Barbers in Manchester's Northern Quarter in 2022 and it became known for £5 haircuts during the cost-of-living crisis (plus free cuts for people experiencing homelessness).
The Northern Quarter shop eventually had to close, which led Jefe to rebuild here in Stockport, where Jefes Barbers still trades at 142D Shaw Heath.
"Closing the Northern Quarter shop hurt. I'm not going to pretend it didn't. But starting again in Stockport taught me what a small business can and can't carry. Rent, overheads, being tied to one building, and with the ramen I wanted something that doesn't need any of that."
"After I lost my shop I read a book called The Go-Giver. It changes your view of how business needs to operate. Businesses can exist that add value to everyone involved. So I've tried building one."
His own experience of homelessness is what drives him and why Jefes Ramen has been set up as a Community Interest Company, so the giving is built into every sale.
"I've been on the other side of this. I can't ignore what I saw and experienced. A CIC means the meals aren't a marketing line. They're the reason the business exists."
Birmingham, Bristol and London might be next, but it all started on Prince's Street. Great things have a habit of starting in Stockport.
The next Jefes Ramen night is Friday 30th October at the Swan With Two Necks, 36 Prince's Street, Stockport SK1 1RY. Bowls start at £12.50 and tickets are on Eventbrite (the last night pre-sold around 50 bowls, so booking ahead is a good shout).
Back the 382k Reasons Crowdfunder before 27th October at crowdfunder.co.uk/p/jefesramen, and follow Jefe on Instagram @jefe.mcr.
