Nonprofit Cafe Momentum equips young people who have spent time in juvenile detention with restaurant skills and a yearlong paid internship

by Henna Bakshi  Jul 12, 2024, 12:32pm EDT

Henna Bakshi is the editor of Eater Atlanta and an award-winning food and wine journalist. She has a decade of experience producing news at CNN, including food segments and a cooking show. She is also a seasoned wine reporter with a WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust) Level 3 degree.

Sixteen-year-old Jassan is incredibly proud of his knife skills.

“I didn’t know how to cut right,” says Jassan. “I would use my whole hand on the blade. You’re supposed to use your thumb and the pointer finger, and then you cut through things more precise.”

In addition to vegetable prep, Jassan is learning skills like frying, sauteing, as well as the art of service and hospitality, as a part of the nonprofit Cafe Momentum. The program equips 15 to 19 year olds who have previously spent time in a juvenile detention center with restaurant education and practical learning for employment opportunities. Founded by decorated chef Chad Houser in Dallas, the program has now expanded to Atlanta. Multiple pop-up dinners are in the works, where the young interns team up with restaurant staff to put on a dinner service; a brick-and-mortar Cafe Momentum is set to open in Downtown in November.

“Cafe Momentum is not just a restaurant, it’s a place for young people to reach their full potential,” says Stewart Williams, executive director of Cafe Momentum Atlanta. “Atlanta is such a city of goodwill. People here work together to improve the human condition for fellow Atlantans. Our justice-involved youth deserve the same opportunities as everyone else.”

Read more here: https://atlanta.eater.com/2024/7/12/24197242/cafe-momentum-arrives-in-atlanta