Café Momentum’s Downtown Debut Is Changing Lives with Every Bite
This nonprofit dining concept blends elevated Southern cuisine with a powerful mission—giving Atlanta's youth a fresh start
Downtown Atlanta’s newest gem is not your average restaurant. While Café Momentum boasts swoonworthy dishes, their ultimate claim to fame is fostering community change. “It’s more than a meal; it’s a mission,” says Josh Lee, head chef of the Atlanta location.
Founded by James Beard Humanitarian of the Year winner Chad Houser, the catalyst for Café Momentum came after Houser accepted an opportunity to teach young men in juvenile detention to make ice cream. This impactful experience exposed him to what he describes as “a harsh truth”: a system failing its youth. The dining concept began as a series of pop-up diners in Dallas, Texas, and by 2015, the nonprofit was on its feet in a permanent location, offering a 12-month internship for justice-involved youth. “Youth exiting the justice system are at a unique space in their story to choose another path and have a reset of their trajectory if given the opportunity,” explains Café Momentum Atlanta executive director Benjamin Wills.
When stopping in for a meal, you might be greeted by a 15-year-old working to create a better life. “For many of them, the table has not been set and they have not been made welcome in places and spaces in society,” says Wills. “Here, they are setting the table and driving an experience that leaves our guests full in body and spirit.”
The industrial chic dining room is spacious yet stylish with booths and ample seating, and an open kitchen adds to the experience. “Our diners are able to see in real time the impact our program is having, and the hard work of our interns is highly visible,” says Wills.
Despite three locations, the Atlanta menu is exclusive to the city and features Southern takes on creative dishes, like the ever-popular Smoked Fried Chicken Pho and Shrimp and Grits. Developed by Lee who has roots at many Atlanta dining destinations, the menu is jam-packed with showstopping dishes and locally-sourced ingredients. The deviled egg appetizer with pickled onions, pimento cheese, trout roe, and smoked venison brisket is “a literal experience” according to Lee, who enjoys crafting the menu as much as he does mentoring. “The majority of [the interns] have not previously seen, heard, or tasted any of the ingredients that we use or dishes that we serve. Being able to work with the youth in the kitchen means there is never a dull moment or repeat day.”
Stay for dessert with a delicious lineup of signature sweets from pastry chef Antonée Pryce. The Citrus Saffron Panna Cotta is as eye-catching as it is tasty with yuzu gelée caviar. Though the sweetest side dish might be found in the interactions you have while dining. Here, “dreams can go from possible to probable, a shared meal can lead to a conversation, and a conversation leads to meaningful change for young people in our community,” says Wills. And for good measure, an espresso martini ensures the night doesn’t have to come to an end.
Guests that come for a tasty experience will return again and again to support the mission. Says Wills, “We want people to walk away knowing they are part of the larger fabric of humanity and that joining us [for a meal] means endless possibilities have been provided.” cafemomentum.org