The nonprofit Café Momentum is planning a pop-up dinner series in fall 2024
Café Momentum, an award-winning nonprofit restaurant that offers paid internships for justice-involved youth ages 15 to 19, launched the first of a series of pop-up dinners at Gunshow in support of its expansion to Atlanta.
The invitation-only dinner was the first in a series of exclusive pop-up dinners hosted by Momentum Rising to introduce Café Momentum to the wider Atlanta community before the permanent restaurant opens in October.
The dinner, presented by Georgia-Pacific, was prepared and served by 10 justice-involved youth, along with Gunshow’s team. Café Momentum works closely with these young people to train them in service and kitchen roles.
The pop-up dinner is designed to showcase Café Momentum’s program design and raise money for its grand opening. It is also designed to raise awareness that justice-involved youth in Fulton County can reach their full potential when given the tools, resources and opportunities to do so.
Café Momentum partners with the Fulton County Juvenile Justice Department to create a supportive environment for youth aging out of the juvenile justice system and give them the opportunity to turn their lives around.
Stewart Williams, general manager of Café Momentum Atlanta, said the reason for the expansion to Atlanta is because the city is well-suited to such a program and there is explicit interest from the community there.
“It’s a bottom-up approach. The community has said we need to take care of our young people, and these young people who were at risk have been forgotten and we want to remind them how important they are,” he said.
Williams also said they work with “juvenile victims of the justice system,” meaning young people who have been caught up in the juvenile justice system. They are often a group of young people who are forgotten, he said. “We don’t really talk about recidivism here at Cafe Momentum. We talk about open opportunities for them to get a second chance.”
In some cases, he said, these young people have not even been given a first chance. By working with juvenile delinquents, they can offer them an internship so they can learn the ropes of running a restaurant.
He said they work in front of and behind the house and get paid for it.
“It’s a one-year program where they learn industry-specific skills in the hospitality industry. We often partner with other organizations to help them find career opportunities beyond Capital Momentum,” he said.
As for the menu, Williams said it will not be the American fine-dining restaurant in Atlanta, but instead will be a “seasonal menu.”
“It will change according to the season. We will change it according to what is available in the season and what some of our local farms have to offer and fresh produce and things like
That,” he said.
As the new executive director, Williams said this work takes him back to his roots, having begun his career in juvenile justice as a juvenile corrections counselor in Newport, Virginia.
“I understand that this population is constantly entering and exiting the system without receiving any real long-term support,” he said.
Reggie Elliot, a current intern in the program and an Atlanta native, said it is a great feeling and blessing for him to be part of the program.
“I feel loved because the things they do for me, the opportunities they give me and the things they teach me, like life skills, have taught me so much,” he said. “There’s nothing else I can do but take it in, learn it and understand it because this is my chance to get out of the struggle.”
As for advice, Elliot said he wants to tell other people in the black community to follow their dreams and work hard.
“You can do anything you want in life. Just follow your dreams. It’s about being consistent, passionate and understanding about what you want to do in life.
Lead Momentum Ambassador I’munique Liggens said she was overwhelmed with emotions: on the one hand she was proud, on the other hand she was grateful.
“I’m proud to see these young men show who they can be and grateful to be in a room with these young men and be able to guide them through this experience. It’s really had a lasting impact on my life,” she said.
Liggens also said it showed her what it means to be a Momentum Ambassador and the impact I can have on young people’s lives – not just the youth, but also the people who work in the youth community.
Ambassador Tristyn Williams, who completed the program in Dallas in 2022, said it filled her heart because the boys were so willing and open to them.
“They were dedicated, you could tell that as soon as they walked through the door, and I personally admire that because it took me so long to realize that I needed to make this change in myself. They’re just really sweet guys, they really just needed a chance,” she said.
There will be three more pop-up dinners at venues and restaurants across the city leading up to the official opening in October. Williams says this lays the groundwork for preparation and raises awareness of the event in the Atlanta community.
For more information, visit https://cafemomentum.org/atlanta/.
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