Wisconsin Historical Society
An undated photo of the Green Lantern shows its days at 604 University Ave., current home to Estacion Inka.
It’s been more than 30 years, but Frank Nick still remembers the crowded tables, the movie nights and the shepherd’s pie served family style at Green Lantern Eating Cooperative, a fixture in the campus area from 1946 to 1986 and in later years a hub for those with leftist political leanings. “It was a great place,” says Nick, who joined the eating co-op in 1974 and was a member until the end. “I made a lot of friends and had a lot of fun there.”
Green Lantern had a few locations over the years, including 604 University Ave., and it
Wisconsin Historical Society
1970 poster advertising the Green Lantern Eating Cooperative.
was highly influential in the the local co-op scene, says Elijah McCloskey, a member of Lothlorien Co-op. Green Lantern members went on to found Union Cab, the Willy Street Co-op and Madison Community Cooperative. “It was a space that connected people who were like-minded in the co-op movement,” McCloskey says. “It helped spread those ideals and spread connection.”
McCloskey and friends had been talking for several years about hosting a Green Lantern-style dinner at Lothlorien, but a fire at the co-op in 2014 put plans on hold. Once the building at 244 W. Lakelawn Place was restored, interest in a revival “hit critical mass,” and in May 2017 the co-op hosted its first banquet and film screening, drawing nearly 200 people. The next installment is Feb. 14 from 6-10 p.m. The menu is still being finalized, but the banquet will be five courses with plenty of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options and a focus on local, organic ingredients. There’s a suggested donation of $5-$20, but nobody will be turned away for lack of funds, McCloskey says.
“Green Lantern really was about [the idea of] food as a basic human right,” McCloskey says. “That’s something that’s really important to me and a lot of other people involved.”
Beyond food, there will be traditional Japanese tea service throughout the night, presented by the former manager of Dobra Tea. Stand-up comedian Kandra Shefchik will perform during dinner, and the Charles Walker Band, a funk group from Milwaukee, will play at 8 p.m. “Green Lantern was also about helping build a culture and a community, so the music and comedy is part of that,” McCloskey says.
Future banquets will also feature entertainment. Lothlorien members are planning to host 2-4 Green Lantern banquets per year to build interest in the concept and will eventually form a board, McCloskey says. If the dinners prove popular enough, organizers would consider increasing their frequency and branching out to different locations. “We’d maybe consider buying property to open up a member-owned restaurant like what existed before,” he says, adding “There’s been a ton of support from the old alumni network."
