Recovery Cafe San Jose

What Recovery Cafe San Jose does

Recovery Cafe San Jose is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 45-4496745) founded in April 2014 as the second location in the Recovery Cafe Network, headquartered at 80 S. 5th St., San Jose, California, in partnership with First Christian Church (now Urban Sanctuary). The organization operates a membership-based community recovery model serving adults recovering from addiction, homelessness, incarceration, and mental health challenges, with a 'radical hospitality and loving accountability' framework that requires members to commit to 24-hour sobriety, weekly Recovery Circles, and active participation in cafe upkeep.

The core service stack includes a drug-and-alcohol-free community cafe open Monday–Friday 10am–4pm, daily meals (continental brunch and hot lunch, with 42,085 meals served in 2025), weekly Recovery Circles (approximately 20 per week, 1,000 in 2025), the School for Recovery classes, 1:1 peer specialist support (1,500 hours in 2025), systems navigation for housing/benefits/employment (1,250 hours in 2025), a Peer Support Intern program that has produced 8 hired recovery coaches, a Culinary Arts / SafeServ certification track (24 completers in 2025, 15 SafeServ-certified), a Barista Skills Training program (22 completers in 2025) with a mobile coffee cart planned for 2026, and a Clothing Closet (1,612 items in 2025). There is no proprietary technology platform; operations are community-led.

The revenue model is donations and grants only. Members receive services free of charge. Funding comes from individual donors, faith-circle memberships, annual 'Opening the Door' fundraising events (14th annual held April 9, 2026), and a diversified institutional base that includes the City of San Jose, County of Santa Clara, State of California, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, National Benevolent Association, Destination: Home, Adobe Community Fund, Heritage Bank of Commerce, Santa Clara Family Health Plan, and Rotary Club of San Jose. Leadership is provided by Executive Director Julie Anderson (formerly VP of PR at PayPal) under a board that includes executives from Microsoft and Netflix; Co-Founder Dana Bainbridge leads Urban Sanctuary San Jose. Headcount is 11–13 staff across operations, development, kitchen, behavioral health, and front-desk functions. Financial transparency is supported by a 2018 GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency; an FY2018 audit and FY2023 Form 990 are publicly posted.

Name

Recovery Cafe San Jose

Legal name

Recovery Cafe San Jose

Website

https://recoverycafesj.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Recovery Cafe San Jose is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a free, membership-based community recovery cafe in San Jose, serving adults recovering from addiction, homelessness, incarceration, and mental health challenges through peer support, job training, and wraparound services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community-Based Recovery Support Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO), Health-Focused Cafes (Organic/Vegan/Wellness) (THAFADAL)

Keywords

• Recovery support services
• Peer support programs
• Community-based recovery
• Addiction recovery support
• Sober community services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Jose

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Recovery Cafe San Jose is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates primarily through donations from individuals, foundations, corporations, and government entities. Donations are tax-deductible per EIN 45-4496745.
2. Government and Foundation Grants: Funding received from government entities (City of San Jose, County of Santa Clara, State of California) and foundations (Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Heritage Bank of Commerce, National Benevolent Association, and others) to support operational costs and programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Recovery Cafe San Jose operates a membership-based cafe and community center that provides free, long-term recovery support for individuals impacted by addiction, homelessness, incarceration, and mental health challenges. Members receive daily access to a sober cafe space, two nutritious meals, weekly Recovery Circles, peer support, behavioral health services, systems navigation, a School for Recovery curriculum, and job training programs (culinary arts, SafeServ certification, barista skills) in exchange for a 24-hour sobriety commitment and weekly Recovery Circle attendance.

Product overview

Recovery Cafe San Jose operates as a membership-based community center offering a unified suite of recovery support services. The core offering is a safe, sober cafe space combined with structured programs including Recovery Circles (weekly support groups), the School for Recovery (classes/workshops), and comprehensive job training through Culinary Arts, Barista Skills Training, and Peer Support Intern programs. Additional wraparound services include Systems Navigation support, a Clothing Closet, and daily community meals. All services are free to members who commit to the 24-hour sobriety requirement, weekly Recovery Circle attendance, and monthly community contribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Recovery Cafe Community Space Membership A membership-based, drug-and-alcohol-free cafe space open Monday through Friday 10am-4pm in downtown San Jose, offering a safe and welcoming environment for individuals recovering from addiction, homelessness, incarceration, and mental health challenges. Free to eligible members 18 and older who commit to a 24-hour sobriety pledge, weekly Recovery Circle attendance, and cafe upkeep responsibilities.
• Recovery Circles Weekly peer support groups held 20 times per week where members give back to the community through shared responsibilities and foster accountability and connection.
• School for Recovery In-depth classes and workshops in recovery, addiction, inner healing, healthy living, and practical life skills, offered across four semesters per year for cafe members. 423 hours of classes and workshops were delivered in 2025.
• Peer Support Intern Program A paid internship program where stabilized members train as behavioral health peer support specialists. In 2025, 10 members were trained, with 8 subsequently hired as recovery coaches to provide one-on-one recovery coaching to other members.
• Culinary Arts and SafeServ Certification Program A 10-week job training program teaching culinary skills alongside chefs and preparing members for the SafeServ food handler certification exam. In 2025, 24 members completed the program and 15 earned SafeServ certification.
• Barista Skills Training A 10-week barista training program preparing members for employment in coffee service. In 2025, 22 members completed the training.
• Systems Navigation Support One-on-one case management assistance helping members navigate housing, public benefits, re-entry, healthcare, employment, and other challenges to wellness and recovery. 1,250 hours of Systems Navigation support were delivered in 2025.
• Clothing Closet Free access to donated clothing items provided to cafe members in need; 1,612 clothing items were provided to members in 2025.
• Community Meals Daily nutritious meals served to members, including a continental brunch at 10am and a hot made-from-scratch lunch at 12:30pm, with food sourced through partnerships including Second Harvest Food Bank. 42,085 meals were served in 2025.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90.4% of members maintain sobriety with Cafe support
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Second Harvest Food BankmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood sourcing partner providing recovered food for cafe meals. 42,085 meals served in 2025 sourced through this partnership and food recovery programs.
• Santa Clara Family Health PlancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth plan partner supporting behavioral health and healthcare navigation services for members.
• First Christian Church / Urban SanctuarymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal founding partner providing building space in downtown San Jose. Church provided building for recovery services; now operates as Urban Sanctuary hosting the cafe.
• Garden to Table Silicon ValleycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner2026 Community Partner of the Year award recipient. Food access and garden partnership supporting nutritious meals for cafe members.
• Recovery Cafe Network (Seattle)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal model provider from Seattle that provided guidance and training to found Recovery Cafe San Jose. Now part of a network with 80+ cafes globally.

Scale indicators23 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• WestCare Foundation: Large national nonprofit delivering behavioral health, substance abuse, housing, and reentry services across multiple states. Comparable as an incumbent provider of community-based recovery and homelessness services.
• Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation: National nonprofit addiction treatment provider operating residential, outpatient, and recovery support services. Comparable as an incumbent in substance use treatment and recovery support, though at significantly larger scale and with clinical/residential offerings.

Direct peers

• Glide Foundation: San Francisco-based nonprofit serving people experiencing poverty, homelessness, and addiction with meals, case management, and recovery support. Comparable as a Bay Area nonprofit combining daily meals, harm reduction, and recovery programming.
• The Midnight Mission: Los Angeles-based nonprofit offering emergency shelter, meals, and recovery programs for people experiencing homelessness and addiction. Comparable as a community-based organization integrating meals, recovery programming, and wraparound services.
• STAR Vista (formerly Caminar): San Mateo County-based nonprofit providing behavioral health, substance use, and housing services. Directly comparable as a Bay Area nonprofit delivering outpatient recovery, counseling, and youth/family support services.
• The Recovery Cafe (Seattle): The original Recovery Cafe founded in 2004 in Seattle and the direct model provider that trained Recovery Cafe San Jose on launch. Operates the same membership-based, free-of-charge recovery cafe model with Recovery Circles, meals, and School for Recovery-style programming.
• Oxford House: A national network of democratically run, self-supporting sober living homes. Comparable as a peer-run recovery support model serving individuals in recovery from substance use disorder, though focused on housing rather than daytime community programming.

Regional players

• Bill Wilson House: Santa Clara County-based nonprofit offering transitional housing and recovery support services for youth and young adults. Comparable regional peer serving overlapping addiction and homelessness populations in the Bay Area.
• Committee on the Shelterless (COTS): Petaluma-based nonprofit providing shelter, housing, and recovery services for people experiencing homelessness in Sonoma County. Comparable regional peer in the Bay Area delivering integrated housing and recovery support.

Emerging players

• Faces & Voices of Recovery: National nonprofit advocacy organization promoting recovery from addiction through peer-led support and policy work. Comparable as a peer-recovery movement organization rather than a direct service provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/recoverycafesj
• Xx.com/RecoveryCafeSJ
• Facebookfacebook.com/RecoveryCafeSanJose

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Recovery Cafe San Jose