Mandala Cafe Inc

Mandala Café will be a pay-what-you-will Café, dedicated to providing food and fellowship — a place at the table for all folks, neighbors coming together to break bread and boundaries — sharing food, space and conversation.

Although its primary focus will be on displaced and at-risk persons, the café will be open to all. Rather than following the traditional “soup kitchen” model, the café will offer sit-down table service. In order to provide dignity and connection for the guests, it will also foster interaction between people of diverse backgrounds (young students mixing with elders, the dispossessed mingling with neighborhood professionals).

On the way to that larger goal, there will be a 6—8 week Culinary Training experience.

Mandala Kitchens will offer free or low-cost culinary training programs to anyone wishing to develop skills in commercial or at-home kitchens. While the program is open to everyone, there is an emphasis on training unemployed, underemployed, homeless, formerly incarcerated individuals and youth. Scholarships may be available to help defray or cover the cost of training.

Phase II of Mandala Kitchens will be to create a catering/food prep business to provide jobs for the graduates as well as those in the Community who may have difficulties finding or maintaining employment. This business will support the on-going funding of the training.