STATUS: ACTIVE
SOCIAL: @hivefreelunch
WEBSITE: https://hivecafe.ca/hiveFreeLunch.html
ADDRESS: Loyola campus, 7141 Sherbrooke West
CONTACT: hivefreelunch@gmail.com
ABOUT THE PROGRAM:
The Hive Free Food Program offers a free, vegan, nut-free breakfast and lunch every school day at the Loyola campus between 12:30 and 1:30 PM. It is funded by the Concordia Student Union and the Arts and Science Faculty.
They also offer dinners during the school year, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 4-5pm.
The Hive Breakfast and Free Lunch (HDLG) program is a branch of the Hive Cooperative Cafés. They provide a vital service to students, staff, and community members on the Loyola campus—an area designated as a food desert with limited access to grocery stores and affordable meal options.
The Hive provides more than just meals; it’s a way to connect: a welcoming space where people can eat, connect, and learn cooking skills together. The program is committed to providing nutritious, high-quality meals while being mindful of the social and environmental impacts of what we consume.
KEY SUCCESSES: HDLG is able to provide these meals thanks to: ASFA fees, funding from the Concordia student union, and generous donations from Moisson Montréal.
KEY CHALLENGES: Securing long-term funding, kitchen renovations, volunteers and having enough paid staff.
News Articles
Hive Free Lunch program fails to collect signatures for fee levy
Concordia Cafe Reopens Its Free Lunches At Loyola
Letter: Vote Yes to the Hive’s Free Lunch Program
Videos
https://www.youtube.com/@ConcordiafoodgroupsCa/search?query=hive%20free
Resources
TO ADD:
HOW TO START A FREE MEAL PROGRAM
HOW TO START A COMMUNITY FRIDGE AND PANTRY
SERVICES OFFERED:
- Free vegetarian/vegan breakfast, lunch and dinners
- Grocery Give-aways weekly
- Space to eat or study
- Kitchen and lounge space rental
- Free community fridge and pantry
- Microwaves and sinks
- Dish library
- Gender-neutral toilets
- Zen space
TIMELINE
2007
- The Concordia Student Union (CSU) reopened the Hive space at Loyola.
- A program called “Loyola Luncheon” started providing free vegetarian meals to students.
- This was the early precursor to the Hive Free Lunch Program.
2010
- Around $80,000 was invested in a kitchen to support a full café project.
- There were attempts to launch a permanent Hive café while maintaining the free meal program
2013?
- Hive Free Lunch becomes an established program
- The free lunch initiative evolved into a structured program run through the Hive Café Solidarity Co-op.
- Meals shifted toward the current model:
- Free daily lunch
- Vegan meals
- Volunteer-run kitchen with 2 paid coordinators
2015
- Hundreds of students regularly attend the free lunches at the Loyola campus.
- The program becomes a key food-security resource alongside People’s Potato at the downtown campus.
2021
- The Triannual Free Grocery program began to support students during breaks, periods when campus food services are closed and food insecurity increases. Initially offered once a year, the program has expanded to three annual distributions: during the fall, winter, and spring breaks, to better serve the needs of students living around the food desert on Loyola Campus.
2024
- Hive expands free meal services to include a daily free breakfast
- Reports indicate: 200+ people/day for free breakfast, 200–500 people/day for free lunch.
2025
Hive adds a weekly free dinner, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
The Grocery Give-away program is expanded to be weekly, for students.