Like so many idealistic things, this kind of setup works only as long as the people joining or taking responsibility for the thing continue to have and practice

Like so many idealistic things, this kind of setup works only as long as the people joining or taking responsibility for the thing continue to have and practice the same ideals as what started it. Start to lose that just a little bit, where responsibility gets diffuse, the original intention gets lost, or you start hiring people who don't have the same understanding, and it all falls apart. Not every worker wants to have an equal share of the grunt work. Not every worker believes that they contribute equally to the success of the restaurant and are willing to split the proceeds in that way. Not every worker wants to have to live the restaurant as if it's their life. Worker owned coops have as many failure modes as "evil" corporate ones do. And in some senses are all the more disappointing because of it.