A Tucson native, Old Skool Cafe founder Teresa Goines thought she'd only be in San Francisco for a year. But her work as a corrections officer and in gang prevention led her to found the program that would become Old Skool Cafe in 2004.
It's a Tuesday evening in mid April, and Old Skool Cafe's standing room-only crowd is buzzing. Celebrations are underway for the Bayview restaurant's 10th anniversary with friends, supporters and alumni from the program for at-risk youth.
"We're a little bit short staffed right now, as are many places," she explains."So I'm on the floor tonight as well." "It was always meant to have a Harlem Renaissance theme," Goines explained."And I wanted them to be a part of the process and the decision-making." In the beginning, activities included catering and"pop-ups in nightclubs and restaurants on days they were closed," Goines recounted. She moved the program to the Bayview in 2006, acquired the building that's at Mendell and Third streets in 2011 and, after extensive renovations, opened in 2012.
Seventeen-year-old Haikiem Maddox of Pittsburg was one of the night's servers and learned about Old Skool Cafe from his girlfriend, who was in the previous group of participants. The recent Downtown High School graduate has also washed dishes and done prep work in the kitchen, bussed tables and hosted during his year at Old Skool Cafe.
"We have youth from all different cultures, and I feel food is such a great way to bring people together," Goines pointed out."So they submit their family recipe and then teach us about their culture."
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