Georgia-Pacific supports Café Momentum’s new location in Atlanta

Café Momentum, an award-winning national nonprofit restaurant staffed almost entirely by justice-involved youth, announced the grand opening of its newest location in the heart of downtown Atlanta, 200 Peachtree ST NW, Atlanta, GA 30303.The restaurant will feature a casual fine dining experience, serving dinner with menu staples from their other locations and local fares such as smoked fried chicken with braised greens, mashed potatoes and biscuits; deviled egg experience; lobster beignets; shrimp and grits; and brown butter poached sea bass with spinach, turnips, pearl onions, dashi and miso. Guests can make dining reservations and learn more about Café Momentum Atlanta here. Atlanta is the country’s third brick-and-mortar location for Café Momentum, with restaurants in Dallas and Pittsburgh.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 27, Café Momentum welcomed city officials, business leaders, and community partners to celebrate its grand opening in Atlanta, including Café Momentum’s Founder and CEO Chad Houser, Atlanta Executive Director Benjamin Wills, Board Chair Clark Dean, Board Member Cathy Smith Curry of the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, Board Member Christian Fischer of Georgia-Pacific, and Kelsey Maynor, representing the Mayor’s Office. Their remarks highlighted the nonprofit’s mission to reimagine Atlanta’s approach to juvenile justice. Guests had the opportunity to tour the new space, sample the menu, engage with program interns, and witness firsthand the transformative impact of Café Momentum. That evening, the restaurant hosted its first official dinner service, buzzing with excitement from guests and interns alike.

“We’re excited to officially open our doors to the public and share Café Momentum’s model with the Atlanta community,” said Benjamin Wills, Executive Director of Café Momentum Atlanta. “These incredible young people have worked tirelessly to make this opening possible, and we hope other justice-involved youth are inspired by what’s possible when your community stands behind you and believes in you.”

 

Marked by a holistic approach, Café Momentum’s comprehensive internship program, the Momentum Model provides a robust ecosystem of support, including a stable income, academic and financial education, and mental health support to help young people access opportunities they may have never had – bringing awareness to the ability of justice-impacted youth in Fulton, DeKalb  and Clayton counties to reach their full potential when they’re given the tools, resources and opportunities to do so.

“I’d like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of our supporters and partners in Atlanta who are working to reshape the culture around how we support our justice-involved youth,” said Chad Houser, Founder CEO of Café Momentum. “Café Momentum aims to create pathways out of justice involvement, so our young people can overcome barriers to unlocking their potential – this model is shaped by the very young people we serve so they and their future generations can dream without limits.”

Café Momentum, founded in Dallas in 2015, aims to expand its reach toward nationwide impact, with the support of Stand Together Foundation, to inspire a new model for youth justice, created on a belief in people and to treat everyone with the dignity they deserve. The expansion to Atlanta is also made possible with the generous support of Georgia-Pacific, LLC, which invests in programs and partnerships that strengthen communities and improve lives. Café Momentum partners with the Departments of Juvenile Justice in Fulton, DeKalb, and Clayton counties and local organizations to establish a supportive framework empowering youth transitioning out of the juvenile justice system to reshape their futures.

“Cafe Momentum operates on a simple but powerful idea: people will rise to the expectations placed on them. Thanks to the embrace of the Atlanta community, these young men and women aren’t just running an award-winning restaurant; they’re realizing their full potential,” said Stand Together senior vice president Evan Feinberg.