Amazing Coffee Shop Run on Honour System

There is a café located in Valley City, North Dakota, that is unusual, to say the least - but in the best possible way.

This café, known as The Vault, works on an honour system, which means that its service is based on trust, honour and honesty. No members of staff grace the counters of The Vault, nor is it wall-to-wall vending machines, if that was what you were thinking.

Instead, The Vault is self-serve, so if you want a cup of tea or coffee or some other beverage, you prepare it yourself. You can even grab a cake, some chips, maybe an ice cream, or whatever is on offer while you are at it. But how do you go about paying for these treats?

A price list clearly states how much each item costs, so the customer needs to keep track of what they intend to buy, check the price of those items and then pay for them by either putting cash or a cheque into the slot provided on the counter, or by slipping their credit card into the reader.

“The thing that is amazing is that people have been extremely honest,” said David Brekke, who owns and operates the café with his wife Kimberly ("Kyly"). He explained that in the nine months that The Vault has been open, the till holds an average of 15% more than their asking prices at the end of the day. This means that more people are paying extra for their purchases than not paying at all.

It is possible that people don’t steal from The Vault because there are, in fact, cameras dotted around, but David said that these are more for the customers’ peace of mind, rather than to prevent stealing.

Kimberly also handily only works next door, in her jewellery shop, Kyly Creations Handmade Beaded Jewelry, as well as a bakery called Kyly’s Kitchen that supplies the baked goods on offer in the café.

The Vault isn’t only used as a café, though. There are books for sale in the shop and it doubles as an art gallery to feature artwork from local artists. The space is also available to rent for six evenings a week, allowing for gallery exhibitions, concerts, independent film screenings and theatre performances, as well.

When the Vault opened last October, the Brekkes were surprised that more places like it didn’t exist already. “In this community, we thought an honour system coffee shop would make a lot of sense,” David said. He explained that it was only when turning to Google that he and his wife realised how unique their little venture was. “There really isn’t anything else like it.”

If you'd like to learn more about The Vault, you can visit their website or Facebook page .