“The quality of the food has a great deal to do with the quality of the mind.” —Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Built as a gift to Maharishi International University, the Golden Dome Café is returning to its original purpose: nourishing body, mind, and community. That idea reaches back to the roots of the building and the generosity of Doug and Francie Greenfield, who envisioned a beautiful structure, constructed it, and donated it to the university.
It began with a practical need—MIU’s agricultural program was growing produce and considering building a produce stand. Doug, a Fairfield builder who operated Global Construction, saw greater possibilities. “Let me take care of this for you,” he recalls hearing himself saying.
Instead of a simple outbuilding, Doug created the Golden Dome Market to sell vegetables grown by MIU, adding a restaurant upstairs to give people a convenient place to eat. The response was so great that, a few years later, Doug and Francie offered to double the size of the market. The expansion added two wings, including a full kitchen upstairs and seating in the restaurant area for community events.
“Francie and I built the market as a legacy gift to MIU,” Greenfield says. “When we doubled the size of the market, our intention was to create a community center for the wider community.”
Near the end of construction, the Greenfields lacked the final $50,000 needed to pay the contractors. Doug mortgaged a property in Florida, completed the building, and gave it to the university.
The market’s convenient location next to the Golden Domes has made it a natural place to visit. Doug remembers that when Francie was away caring for her mother, he ate there every day. When he wanted company, he says, “There was always somebody to be with.”
The Golden Dome Café serves organic, non-GMO vegetarian food with vegan and gluten-free choices. Its kitchen draws on fresh vegetables, grains, legumes, herbs, spices, and other wholesome ingredients to create food that is satisfying without being heavy, and flavorful without depending on industrial processing.
For Café Director Dolores Johnson, cooking has always carried a sense of service. Her mission is not merely to put food on a plate, but to create the warmth that makes diners want to sit down together.
“When I cook, I want the food to nourish the whole person,” Dolores says. “It should taste wonderful, but it should also leave you feeling clear, balanced, and cared for. Good ingredients matter, and so does the attention you bring to preparing them. Food made with care carries that care to the person eating it.”
The Café will bring this philosophy to life through a special monthly dining series for culinary fans. Each meal will explore a seasonal theme through fresh ingredients, imaginative vegetarian dishes, interesting spices, and recipes prepared with extra care.
The next special meal, “Moonlit Harvest: A Halloween Feast,” is planned for lunch on Wednesday, October 28. It will bring together autumn flavors, a playful seasonal atmosphere, and the Café’s approach to nourishing vegetarian cooking. Details will be announced closer to the event.
Future meals will offer new seasonal experiences each month, including Dolores’s special Thanksgiving Feast in November. The Café also plans to host a regular series of wellness conversations focused on healthy aging. The first one will be held on Thursday, October 15, at 7:15 p.m., featuring Paul Morehead on “Brain-Boosting Foods to Add to Your Daily Diet.”
To support its vision of offering nourishing food and creating a setting for richer community life, the Café is developing a patron program. It’s a way for regular customers to provide added support, particularly during the quieter winter season, while receiving access to selected special gatherings and culinary events.
For Doug and Francie Greenfield, the building was always intended to serve people. Its future can now bring that purpose to a wider Fairfield community—one nourishing meal and one useful conversation at a time.
For event announcements and updates, visit Fairfield365.com and GoldenDome Cafe.org. The Café is located at 1112 N. Granville Avenue on the MIU campus.