To learn more about Donna, which has been open to the public since May 2023, Hell Gate spoke with Lauren Ruiz, one of Donna's five worker-owners. Ruiz currently acts as the general manager for the bar. (At Donna's first incarnation, as a Williamsburg cocktail bar under a traditional ownership structure, she was a bartender.)
Donna's worker-owners are keenly aware that other people in the industry are keeping tabs on how they fare under their unique ownership structure. "I feel like right now we're in the gestation period, where we have to be super successful," Ruiz said. "When that happens, I think other businesses will be like, Alright, we'll throw our hat in this way. So, there's a lot riding on our successes."
We talked about why Donna's worker-owners think the cooperative model is right for the hospitality industry, how to support other co-ops, and what it's like to have a job that you actually really care about.
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