We are navigating through uncertain times. Living costs keep rising and unhappy faces are everywhere. We want to do what we can do to change that. Case Study Café was opened in 2027 in Sacramento, California in the hope of leveraging our own power to make our lives a bit more affordable, beautiful and fun.

The inspiration came from the Case Study House project, which was launched in 1945 in Southern California amid post-war material shortage and social unease. Spearheaded by innovative architects, the project aspired to design and offer beautiful yet functional houses that would also be affordable.

As the name suggests, it was a bold experiment to make homes - otherwise expensive and uncustomizable products - usable, stylish and affordable. When conventional construction materials were not easily available, architects made most of readily available industrial materials. They also stayed experimental and flexible to adapt to changing circumstances by always prioritizing those who would live in the house.

Decades later, dozens of houses remain and continue to inspire us, and its spirit is relevant more than ever for us who live through “affordability crisis.”

At Case Study Café, we strive to stay creative and experimental to find ways to make most use of what we already have so that our lives can be a little more affordable. And you are a big part of this challenge. Come join our journey!

What we do

• Bring in vegetables you grow, materials you find in your closet and redeem the value.

• Use the value toward food and products offered at the Cafe.

• We process what you bring in to offer affordable meals and functional products.

• We also offer hand-picked, unique products mainly from Japan.

• Workshops and live music are available so that we can learn and enjoy together.