On Call Cafe, Stanford’s student-run, nonprofit cafe, is aiming to raise a $1 million endowment by the end of the year to secure its long-term future and keep prices affordable.
Founded in 2023, On Call works to provide a “warm, welcoming third space on campus,” according to their website. The cafe operates Monday through Thursday from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. in Old Union.
Co-founder and former executive director Peyton Klein ’25 told The Daily that she helped found the cafe as a way to build community following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“A lot of the traditions, a lot of social life had been lost,” Klein said. “We wanted to create a third space where students could go between their dorms and their libraries, specifically in the late night hours to just hang out, to slow down, to be with one another, to be in conversation, to make new friends.”
Co–executive captain Aaron Zhang ’27 emphasized the cafe’s unique appeal, noting that the space is welcome to all.
“We’re not really targeting anyone. I don’t think there’s a specific crowd we attract, which is our goal: that we bring all of campus together,” Zhang said. “The student-run aspect really brings the weird and wonderful back.”
Klein shared that an endowment would “ensure” On Call’s “future” and “keep prices low for students.” She noted that all items on the menu currently range from $4 to $6. “We break even every night but running a cafe takes way more than that,” Klein said. “It’s heavily subsidized. We want to make sure it’s inclusive, it’s accessible, and that it can last. That’s what an endowment does for us.”
Klein noted that a $1 million endowment would allow the cafe “$50,000 a year to run programming.”
Georgia Walker Keleher ’26, On Call’s head of partnerships, shared that the endowment would help fund initiatives to foster community and culture and promote events.
This year, On Call has hosted student organizations and events ranging from “professor open mics to salsa dancing and disco bingo,” according to Klein.
Klein told The Daily that the cafe is also working to expand its physical space. The endowment would allow for more flexibility, or even a brand new kitchen.
Beyond hosting events, Zhang added that he is “looking forward to expanding our physical space to the front of Old Union, so we have a lot more space for bigger, goofier events.”
“The goal is really to bring that cozy vibe from the back all the way to the front of Old Union,” he said.
Keleher echoed Zhang’s sentiments. “You walk into On Call, and it feels student run, like the student artwork on the walls. There’s a sharp contrast between The Axe & Palm (TAP) and On Call,” she said. “Just having alumni walk through and experience that juxtaposition is one way we’re really trying to highlight what makes On Call special and why they should help support it.”