For more than a year now, commuters and tourists who travel the ferry between Fauntleroy and Vashon or Southworth have happily consumed food provided by Sound Food Cafe, located on Vashon. Now that service is in doubt.

The local eatery stepped in and picked up the contract after Sodexho stopped providing food on the ferry system almost two years ago. However, after problems arose between Sound Food and the food workers recently, the restaurant's owner almost cancelled the food contract. A last-minute negotiation saved the service temporarily.

Bill Dorn, co-owner of Sound Food and the force behind providing Sound Food on the ferries, said the problem is the cost of health care, both nationwide and among his employees. He said that Sodexho provided 100 percent coverage of health insurance premiums for the food workers and their families, which Dorn and Sound Food have continued to provide.

But, after more than a year of providing food service to the ferry run, Dorn said the business is not financially viable. Given that, he decided to renegotiate with the food workers and provide 100 percent of the premium cost for workers only, but not provide it for families.

When negotiations slowed down, Dorn notified the ferry system that food would be discontinued on the run. The ferry system notified the public last week that the food service was about to end. However, an emergency bargaining session on Thursday was successful. After the food workers agreed to the change in premium coverage, Dorn decided to keep food on the ferries. (See editorial, An absurd burden, Page 6).

"I don't blame the workers for this," he said. "They were used to getting that kind of coverage with Sodexho, and they have given up a lot since we took over the contract," he said. "The issue here really is health care and how much it costs. Our system is broken, and the cost gets put more and more on the backs of small business. I am a small business, and I just can't afford it."

Dorn said he knew when he took on the contract that it would probably not be very financially viable in the first year, since most businesses have that same experience. He said he has enjoyed providing the food service, even with the financial loss, and he knows it is popular with passengers. He said is glad that they were able to resolve the dispute, and that food service will continue on the run.

Sound Food is the first locally owned and operated company to serve food on the ferries since the 1960s. The menu includes sandwiches, hot dogs, salads and soups; pastries and popcorn; and also wine and beer. The ferries lost food service two years ago when the state turned down Maryland-based Sodexho's final proposal for a new contract. Sodexho had provided food on the ferry routes for almost 30 years.

Lauri Hennessey is a resident of Vashon Island and writes a regular column, Kids and More, for these newspapers. She can be reached at lauri@hennesseypr.com