‘Stanford’s living room’: On Call Cafe celebrates one-year anniversary

A year ago, On Call — Stanford’s student-run late-night cafe — opened its doors with a pop-up at the Haas Center. Now housed in Old Union, the cafe will celebrate its first anniversary this Thursday with a party from 8 to 9 p.m. featuring three special menu items.

Since its first pop-up, On Call has evolved into a vibrant community. Every weeknight, dozens of students are drawn to the cafe for seasonal drinks, an ever-changing menu and ambient music. There, they study, attend special events and chat with friends or strangers until the cafe closes at midnight.

Peyton Klein ’25, CEO, said her dream was for On Call to become “Stanford’s living room.”

Klein said that when she entered Stanford in 2021, she felt a loss of tradition and social infrastructure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her sophomore year, she began hosting dinners with strangers in an effort to re-cultivate community on campus. 

At one of these dinners, she met Leo van den Daele ’24 and Matteo Perper ’23, two students who also wanted to establish a “third space” on campus — somewhere people could congregate outside of the classroom and dorm. 

Klein, van den Daele and Perper banded together to host a pop-up at the Stanford Post Office in April of 2023. The event drew over 100 people for coffee, pastries and card games.

Over the summer, Klein began communicating with the school, and last November, worked with the University to launch a pop-up at the Haas Center. Over the course of two nights, they served 1,250 people, including former Stanford President Richard Saller. On Call Cafe was officially born. 

It wasn’t until this February that On Call was given funding and a permanent space in Old Union. They hosted a Valentine’s Day pop-up — Love, On Call — to introduce their new location, organized bi-weekly “Brews”, and finally opened full-time in April.

Establishing On Call came with its challenges. The student team navigated all the complexities of running a food establishment, from acquiring a health permit and a business license, to developing their menu, to hiring employees.

Over the past year, the cafe has received highly positive feedback from the student body.

“I don’t think there’s any other space on campus that has exactly the same vibe,” said Morgan Rangel ’28, a regular customer. “It’s definitely conducive to bonding and just feeling at home.”

Sophia Li ‘28 appreciates the balance of working and socializing that On Call provides, calling the culture at On Call “laid back.” 

“It provides some contrast to a lot of the other study spaces on campus,” she said. “I always feel like I find a new friend every time I come here.”

Malcolm Carral Abreu ‘28 echoed Li’s appreciation of On Call’s social side, describing the cafe as being, “like a little community more than a coffee shop.”

Klein attributes On Call’s success to being one of few late-night options on campus, hosting a variety of events every week and being 100% for students and by students. 

“As long as it’s feasible and we can make it happen, [On Call] is really a platform for Stanford’s ideas,” Klein said. 

On Call has put on various events this school year, including speaker series, live music, open mic nights and platonic dates. Recently, they partnered with StanfordVotes to offer one free drink per person with proof of voter registration every Tuesday leading up to the election.

But Klein believes that what makes On Call so special is the people.

“Nowhere else on campus can you see as many communities represented on a consistent basis … and that is such a gift,” Klein said. “I think we still have a long way to go. We’re always looking around and seeing who is not at On Call — what are the other communities that we can engage?”

Olivia Sun ’25, head of the cafe, strives to incorporate different cultures on the menu. The “kim-cheese”, for instance, puts a Korean twist on the classic American grilled cheese by adding kimchi and is On Call’s most popular food item.

“I just tried their kim-cheese, and it was absolutely incredible. Made my day,” Li said.

According to Sun, using food as a way to bring people together is core to On Call’s mission.

“Cafes can often be more Eurocentric and I think it would be really cool… for every student to come in and see some part of themselves throughout the seasons on the menu,” Sun said.

Looking forward, Klein would like to expand the space, deepen their partnership with the school and most importantly, ensure the cafe’s longevity. They are currently training junior captains to take over leadership positions once the senior captains graduate.

On Call is also working to secure funding for their long term operation, as they function on a deficit to stay affordable for students while paying their staff. They are currently working to raise a $1 million endowment.

“I feel super proud of the entire team, because On Call is so much greater than what the few of us who came together envisioned this could be,” Peyton said. “Hopefully, it can be a cornerstone and bright spot of the Stanford experience for years and years to come.”

Audrey Tomlin contributed reporting.

The post ‘Stanford’s living room’: On Call Cafe celebrates one-year anniversary appeared first on The Stanford Daily.