• November 20, 2024 | Denver

  Restaurant nonprofit hiring incarcerated teens will open in historic Denver fire station

  Café Momentum launched in Dallas to offer young people who have gone through the court system experience in the culinary industry.Café Momentum, a nonprofit restaurant founded in Dallas to hire youth who have gone through the justice system, is coming to Denver. The restaurant announced Monday it will begin construction early next year at the […]

• November 15, 2024 | Atlanta

  Atlanta Hawks, State Farm Arena, and Stand Together Announce Social Impact Partnership Championing Local Community and Education Efforts

  Today, the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena along with Stand Together, a philanthropic community that tackles the root causes of our country’s biggest problems, announced a new multi-year partnership rooted in social impact that will improve the Atlanta region through innovative initiatives focused on education and community building. Stand Together has already launched successful […]

• September 27, 2024 | Dallas

  September Brings Benefit Events for Cafe Momentum and The Heimerdinger Foundation

  Food plus philanthropy always equals a good thing, and two upcoming events promise to combine both to help raise funds for some ongoing good efforts. The first will be on Monday, Sept. 19, as the kitchen crew at Henrietta Red is offering a special four-course dinner to benefit Café Momentum Nashville, a program that provides […]

• August 29, 2024 | Pittsburgh

  The 38 Essential Pittsburgh Restaurants

  Longtime go-tos, scrappy taquerias, an Indian diner, and moreNestled at the confluence of three rivers and about a four-hour drive from D.C., Pittsburgh punches above its weight in terms of diverse offerings, quality food, creative indie spots, and beloved longtime go-tos that have shaped generations of how the city eats. Its foodways reflect influences of Appalachia, Italian […]

• July 15, 2024 | Atlanta

  Nonprofit restaurant in Atlanta to train and mentor youths who need a fresh start

  By Berndt Petersen, WSB-TV | A new restaurant in downtown Atlanta is offering crime solutions. It’s under construction with a concept like no other. A nonprofit cafe designed to help young people who get caught up in the justice system. “It’s a social enterprise, and that’s the good thing,” Stewart Williams told Channel 2′s Berndt Petersen.   He […]

• July 12, 2024 | Atlanta

  These Kids Were Involved With the Justice System. Now, They’ll Run an Atlanta Restaurant.

  by Henna Bakshi 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 […]

• May 14, 2024 | Pittsburgh

  Cafe Momentum Pittsburgh Announces Cheyenne Tyler as New Executive Director

  Download the PDF here. Today, Café Momentum Pittsburgh is excited to announce the promotion of Cheyenne Tyler to Executive Director. Her dedication to transforming the lives of youth involved in the justice system aligns perfectly with Café Momentum’s core mission of providing workforce development, mental health, education and an ecosystem of support for Pittsburgh’s youth. […]

• March 29, 2024 | Dallas

  Cafe Momentum is a Dallas-based restaurant that only hires formerly incarcerated youth. Now the model is going national.

  Chef Chad Houser’s idea for Café Momentum came after he volunteered to teach eight incarcerated teenagers how to make ice cream. Though he already had an award-winning restaurant, after that experience, his life — and entire business model — changed. Today, Café Momentum only hires justice-involved youth between 15 to 19 years old. The Dallas […]

• March 29, 2024 | Dallas

  Cafe Momentum brings its support of formerly incarcerated youth to new location

  The nonprofit organization helps at-risk teenagers transition to life post-detention through restaurant work and will be serving food at the Super Bowl this weekend. Read more here.

• March 29, 2024 | Dallas

  Mike Rowe podcast: Give the Children Knives and Fire (Ep. 301)

  In 2008, Chad Houser was nominated as the best up-and-coming chef in Dallas. Had he stayed on that track, he’d probably have a show on the Food Network today, and a talent deal to rival Bobby Flay and Gordon Ramsay. But Chad didn’t stay on that track. Instead, he taught a group of incarcerated kids […]

• March 11, 2024 | Pittsburgh

  A Restaurant Unlike Any Other: A Unique Opportunity for Youth

  When you think about taking your family or friends or staff out to eat, my guess is you aren’t thinking about how to solve one of our communities’ biggest social issues. By the end of this year, that will change, when Café Momentum Pittsburgh opens on Forbes Avenue downtown. It’s not news that our juvenile […]

• March 6, 2024 | Pittsburgh

  Best New Restaurants 2023

  Café Momentum came to Pittsburgh in March with a laudable mission. The restaurant’s front- and back-of-house staff consists of justice-involved and at-risk youths working a paid 12-month internship developed to guide them through the full spectrum of hospitality industry skills. They are offered classes and mentorship, and they’re paired with case managers to assist them with […]