decorahnews.com feature: "Community Table" seeks to build community--at a Decorah Restaurant

How do you build a sense of community among people?  At one Decorah restaurant, that might be accomplished over a hamburger or a plate of pasta.

Rubaiyat on Water Street in Decorah has just gotten a "Community Table" that will be handled a little differently than the other tables at the restaurant.  You won't be able to make a reservation to sit at the table--you just have to come to the restaurant and then you get seated with whoever else is at the table.

Rubaiyat owners Kim and Andy Bonnet says the idea of the table is to see which groups of people get seated with each other--and what interactions might occur.  You might be seated with someone you know--or with someone from out of state or out of the country.

The "Community Table" itself is almost a work of art.  The long table was built by Jacob Fouts at Fouts Woodworking in Decorah, built with barn boards reclaimed from a barn near Harmony.

The place settings are out and the table is ready to be used--but remember--you can't reserve a place at the table!