PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Stone Soup PDX, a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming lives through food and culinary training, celebrated the grand opening of its first cafe in the Montavilla neighborhood today.
The event was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The Stone Soup Cafe will serve coffee, pastries, and more, but it is the individuals behind the counter that make the establishment unique.
Many of the workers have faced significant challenges, including the brink of homelessness and employment barriers.
The cafe provides them with an opportunity to learn culinary skills, as well as customer service and communication skills that are applicable across various industries.
Ellen Damaschino, Stone Soup PDX’s Executive Director, emphasized the importance of the new cafe for its workers.
“Stable employment that is just key. They’re going to get a good wage, they’re going to have skills and we want to put them into this city, this city has tons of food opportunities and we are a training ground for that and so they can work at a starting level they can work all the way up,” she said.
The cafe is open Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.