Chad Houser at Dallas's Cafe Momentum is James Beard Humanitarian of the year

Chad Houser The Cafe Momentum is Opens to Downtown Dallas In 2015 with an effect with an effect: in “spark positive change“In People's Lives by Employing Formerly Incarcerated Youth in the Juvenile Justice System and Teaching Them Important Life Skills Such as basic NEEDS, Conflict Literacy. To date, more than 1,000 kids have been involved in the program in the program, gaining an education in the program Hospitality and Discovering a Career Path through the Employment Opportunities provided by Cafe Momentum In Dallas, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Denver.

This year, Houser is the recipient of James Beard Award for Humanitarian of the Year. Eater Dallas is covered by the houser ahead of ceremony, made this year on Monday, June 16To discuss how he can hear that he will receive the award – and how it feels to destroy the 31-year loss city of beards. He also mentions what is next for Cafe Momentum.

Eater: How did you hear that you got this award?

Chad Houser: I know a few months I'm nominated, which I think is cute and harmless. A few weeks before advertising, I have an update I am one of five finalists. I thought I should be the “common man” finalist between four Jose Andrés equivalent. After this, two partners came to me within 30 seconds of each other, saying Dawn Padmore from James Beard Foundation trying to catch you. Our Dallas Executive Director, Margaret Reid Witham, Said, “Monada you! You have to win!” I'm like, “Tap the brakes, my friend. I'm sure it's a good wish to say, 'I tell you,” my honor, you are the 2025 James Beard Humanitarian. year. “I began babylling like a crybaby. I drove north of interstate 75 from downtown to go to Texas Foundation Communities To record a video, because we are the $ 500,000 recipients to provide for The new flag we built. So, I cry like a child, and he laughs. Birthday said, “I'm sorry. Laughter is probably inappropriate response.” I said, “There is nothing, it's fine. I laughed too. I cry and laugh.”

Cafe Momentum

Being emotional feels like the correct answer.

I think so much about it. Why am I emotional? Some of these were because I missed my mother, who died in 2019, and he was my favorite man. Every day, I tried to be half the man he was. As for me, I entered the Dallas County Juvenile Department in 2008 to visit and later volunteer, and I traveled to a journey. In 2010, I heard someone say, “What do you do when children work together in the kitchen?” I can hear people say, “Those kids don't want to work. They just want to collect a check.” Or, “those kids haven't been before a nice restaurant. They don't cook your food.” We made 41 pop-up dinner from June 2011 through December 2014 with the best Dallas restaurants. Our children are taken Sinnchronized service in places like ft33. And yet, when we open, people are shocking to find food well.

I remember someone who sent me a friend request to Facebook for a few months after we shop, and he posted a steak knife his captife, “Shiv, who's in the Cafe momentum.” I think, Fuck you! I can't be your friend. So, about feeling of emotions about this is that, for it may have been for the first time since I began to work in children 17 years ago, the relief of their surroundings changed. Identification from James Barbas Foundation is a sign that the country, at least, open to a new conversation about young people who deserve.

Cafe Momentum

There is also conversation about the race opened since 2020, which affects this issue, as well as the continuing problem with recidivism. I think people believe in an idea that produces results, and your idea has proved himself.

I think the community has proven it. Our children at the Cafe Momentum do not leave their neighborhoods. They arrive at the Cafe Momentum, people surround them from the whole city, metroplex, and state. For a population of teenagers, stereotyped, and marked with generations in the most important ways – coming, and wanting to have the power to happen in their lives. It fails; It's not data on a piece of paper. You look at a young person who first worked at the dining room, and they looked; They don't want to meet eye. They have zero confidence for anyone else at the dining – and they don't deserve. That trust has been taken over time. Then, you see them grow. Their back is straight, their chest rises, and they talk to people in tables. That is special. I think more than the recidivism study or data, you see it happened, and that's how it should be.

Dallas still separates many ways. We are one of Last major southern towns to not talk to schoolsand still have Physical obstacles between neighborhoods. You are wise to do this city, because it is not far from traveling, and it does not have a specific identity, Unlike Park cities.

That's about the conversation happening at cafe tables in the cafe. The people living north of town do not have the explanation of what is in the south of town. My father lived with my wife and me for five years, and he was born in 1944 and graduated from an increasing number of Florida school. I asked him, “Hey Papa, how many grocery stores with south I-30 in Dallas?” And he said, “Maybe 100?” There are two. He can't believe it. That's about learning that happens here. A restaurant byproduct is to build closeness between communities and a safe space for our children, which is also important. I know we should be more than a restaurant. Being a restaurant is like putting a band-aid in a waterfall.

Cafe Momentum

What is the future for Cafe Momentum?

The idea of ​​expanding Cafe Momentum first enjoys 2018 or 2019, when we start hosting pop-up diners around the country. When we launched a national team, I wanted one of our capabilities to be a story. I want to hear our children's voices, and if they want to say, we need to give them the platform. So, we have built the ability to sell and communicate from getting-walked, and interesting enough, that touches us during the pandemic. Now we have these NFL relationships, the players' coalition, etc. Because we can't go to the country pop-up dinner during the Cavid, we do it to zooming the friater's house players, the Lacrosse, the NFL, and more. We do doordash our children's food, and children will talk about what they eat and why, and it will be an open conversation. This shows the value of the connection by talking. Get out of the pandemic, we lean on it, which is why we serve food Five of the last six Super Bowls. Our children are eligible to hear, and they deserve a call to move to change the system affecting them. Our expansion not only establishes new physical locations; It also has a conversation around changing models for jovenile justice in our country. Dream is to have other people to copy our model and repeat it, even if it's a juvenile justice department, a restaurant, or anything. It works. During the past three years, we have two in three groups a month will come and study our model.

What can you share about your new Flagship built in Dallas?

In Dallas, the Cafe Momentum is in a former Jourger Joint we recently returned a program that also runs a restaurant. We took our findings from Dallas and applied them to the plots of Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and Dencar, so we need to think of this place. As we thought, Peter Miller from the Foundation Foundation came to us and offered us the land. We spend months working with architects and designers, thinking through human design and trauma. We asked, how do we build a space that welcomes people from around the country to steal our model? For me, that is the most effective way to scale.

You also break a streak of Dallas with this award. This is the first beard's bearing averaged in 31 years, because Dean was afraid of being afraid of the latter. How do you feel about that?

You're sorry.

No, totally intense.

I don't know. The word I stop was surreal. I feel unworthy. Overwhelmed. I thank the chefs and restaurants that graciously opened their doors to us on a sunday night, the chefs who came in with their full staffs when their restaurants were closed to execute a dinner that showed the city what our our kids are capable Of when it was allowed to walk in their greatness. I think the chefs own this award. I think more than 1,300 children own this award. As I knew I was biased, I didn't know we could have been launched somewhere but Dallas. The way the city is conducting the Cafe momentum special, so I want to enjoy Dallas as a community. The first award we've got in 31 years one we can own as a city.

This interview is edited and combined for clarity.