Chalfonte Foundation · Cass Café Cultural Center
Investor & Board
Package Index
Package Index
A complete guide to the Cass Café planning and investment package. Each document listed below has a specific audience and purpose. Insert your hosted URLs where indicated — all documents share the password Cass4art! unless otherwise noted.
Front Door — Start Here
01
Introduction — Coming Home
The front-door document for the entire package. Vision, mission, concept, the three pillars, the menu philosophy, and the goals — with images and a button leading into the full presentation. This is the first thing a prospective investor, donor, board member, or partner should read.
02
Structure Briefing — Why the Structure Matters
Five things worth understanding before talking operations: the Kresge Court model, the property tax exemption, legal separation vs. operational segmentation, the phased opening strategy, and the menu model. Required reading for staff, investors, advisors, and board members before any detailed discussion.
Investment Documents
03
Program Plan & Investment Prospectus
The comprehensive investor document: executive summary, organizational overview, concept and programming, the phased opening plan, team profiles, revenue model, and share offering structure. The primary document for prospective investors reviewing the full opportunity.
04
Financial History & Reopening Projections
Three years of federal tax return analysis, utility history, the complete transaction structure (land contract, share exchange, debt forgiveness), five-month cash flow projections (August–December 2026), share offering details, and the full Counsel Flags list for Howard & Howard and Luzynski & Associates. Board and investor use only.
05
Membership Overview
Membership tiers, benefits, pricing, and the relationship between membership and the investor offering. For prospective members and investors reviewing the community ownership model.
Governance & Legal Structure
06
Corporate Governance Package
Five documents: Second Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, Amended and Restated Bylaws, Founding Round Stock Issuance Resolution, Subsequent Offering Round Template, and ESOP Resolution. For board members, legal counsel, and investors performing due diligence on the corporate structure.
07
Governance & Operating Agreements
Three documents: Master Cultural Center Joint Operating Agreement (JOA), Program Committee Charter, and Partner Organization Participation Agreement template. Defines the relationship between Chalfonte Foundation and Cass Café, Inc., the occupancy cost model, and how partner organizations (detroit contemporary, PuppetART, Village Radio) coordinate within the Cultural Center.
Operations Planning
08
Phased Opening Plan
Month-by-month plan from August 2026 occupancy through the November 6, 2026 public opening and into Year 1. Covers event types, revenue by phase, staffing needs, and the rationale for the phased approach. For board, investors, and operations planning.
09
Staffing Plan
Complete staffing structure: kitchen team, day service team, management (General Manager, Director of Arts & Cultural Programming, Events Coordinator), event staffing model, compensation philosophy, ESOP structure, and the weekly schedule grid. For board, investors, and prospective staff.
10
Programming Calendar
The full week-by-week programming framework: regular public hours, event types, gallery exhibition cycle, and the Cass Café Cultural Center's programming philosophy. For board, investors, and partner organizations.
11
Menu
The current menu framework: the build-your-own bowl concept, soup and salad offerings, juice bar, bar program, and the food philosophy rooted in naturopathic tradition and Great Lakes regional sourcing. Working draft — final pricing and items pending kitchen testing with Marianne Audrey Burrows and Regan Rodriguez.
Event Examples
12
Pancakes with Puppets — Event Page
Description and ticketing page for the signature Saturday morning family event: PuppetART's puppet show paired with a full breakfast from Cass Café's kitchen. Shows investors and board members what a ticketed event looks like in practice, including pricing and the PuppetART partnership.
13
Dinner Concert — Event Page
Description and ticketing page for the Dinner Concert series: a seated dinner from the original Cass Café menu paired with an acoustic Detroit performance. Shows the $50 ticket structure ($25 to the artist, $25 to food and beverage) and the menu drawn from original Cass Café recipes.
Additional Documents
14
Working Here — Prospective Staff
For prospective hires: schedule, open roles, kitchen model, compensation philosophy, ESOP structure, and the affordable housing benefit. Plain-spoken and honest — no heavy financial or governance detail.
15
For Artists & Performers
For prospective visual artists and performance artists: the galleries, the exhibition program presented by detroit contemporary, the Dinner Concert series, DJ nights, health and healing programs, the compensation model, and the timeline. How to submit a proposal.
Sharing guidance: All documents use the password Cass4art! The financial history report (04) and corporate governance package (06) should be shared only with investors performing due diligence and Chalfonte Foundation board members — not for general distribution. Documents 14 and 15 are designed for prospective staff and artists — share those links directly without requiring the full package password.