'Dine With A Purpose': Curt's Cafe Opens New Location In Highland Park Today
CHICAGO (CBS)-- It's an eatery where you get more than food.
Curt's Cafe helps young people with troubled pasts get back on the right track with new jobs.
CBS 2 first introduced you to Curt's Cafe in Evanston a few years back.
Waiter Joe Johnson has long since graduated and is on a new path after his arrest for messing with cars.
Now, Curt's Cafe is on a new path, expanding to another location in Highland Park and opening on Tuesday.
"We are dealing with students that are home insecure, food insecure, probably dropped out of school early, probably 14 or 15, that have come into contact with the justice system, possibly been incarcerated, but haven't really had a path to success," Susan Trieschmann, the executive director, said.
Rick Marsh, the board president at Curt's Cafe, has seen a chance in the workers.
"I've seen kids come in all tattooed up, come in all tough, they're not tough at all, but that's just a persona," Marsh said. "When they come in here they lose that persona, they know there are folks here that do care about them. They know they have folks here they can trust."
The employees teach the students all about restaurant work.
Marsh said a team from Highland Park came to Curt's and raised the money needed.
