Café Momentum, a nonprofit restaurant founded in Dallas, is bringing its transformative model to Denver. The concept offers young people who have been in the justice system an opportunity to gain work and life skills.
It will open sometime next year at 3201 Curtis St., Denver Gazette reports, in the old Curtis Park Fire Station. The Denver location, led by Executive Director Mike Waid, aims to recruit 30 to 40 local teens and will use local ingredients, with 50% sourced from Colorado producers. It will have an indoor vegetable garden and community service center.
Founded in 2015, Café Momentum hires youth involved in the justice system for 12-month paid internships. Interns learn skills in both the kitchen and front-of-house operations, while also receiving case management, financial literacy, and mental health support.
Café Momentum’s mission aligns with its broader vision to expand nationally, with locations already in Dallas, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta. Supporting these kids helps them break the cycle of incarceration and build a future through meaningful employment and a model for positive change.
