Taste Project

What Taste Project does

Taste Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, founded in 2012 by Jeff Williams to address food insecurity in Tarrant County. Its flagship program, Taste Community Restaurant, operates a full-service pay-what-you-can dining model at two locations — the original Fort Worth site at 1200 South Main Street (opened 2017) and a second location in Downtown Arlington at 200 North Cooper Street (opened March 2025) — serving breakfast, lunch, and brunch Wednesday through Sunday. Guests may pay what they can afford, pay a typical restaurant price, or pay extra to subsidize neighbors, deliberately co-locating those in need and those helping to remove stigma and segregation.

The organization runs a portfolio of culinary job training programs layered on top of the restaurant operations: the self-paced CFC Pre-Apprenticeship Program, the accelerated 16-week Fort Worx program (launched 2021 in partnership with Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County, Tarrant Area Food Bank, and the Culinary School of Fort Worth), and a 2-year ACF Certified Sous Chef Apprenticeship Program with Department of Labor designation. Apprentices earn paid work experience, ACF certification, and job placement support, with local employers including Dickies Arena, Marriott, Texas Health Resources, and Sage Dining recruiting at Showcase Dinner events.

The revenue model blends unrestricted contributions from individual monthly donors and one-time gifts, foundation grants (Amon G Carter, Meadows, Holloway Family, Charles Schwab, McKesson, United Way of Tarrant County), municipal support (City of Fort Worth, City of Arlington, Arlington Tomorrow Foundation), and earned revenue from restaurant transactions, private event hosting ($35 per guest plus gratuity at the Arlington private dining room), and seasonal fundraising events (Matching March, Apprentice Showcase Dinners, Supper Club Dinners). Approximately 80% of the workforce consists of volunteers called "Taste Buds," with 1-10 paid staff overseeing operations. As of reporting, the organization has cumulatively served 344,008 meals, 218,481 volunteer hours, and 103 tons of produce, with 78% of current guests classified as in need (up from 58% pre-pandemic).

Name

Taste Project

Legal name

Taste Project

Website

https://tasteproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Taste Project is a Fort Worth-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates two pay-what-you-can restaurants in Tarrant County, Texas, and runs tuition-free, ACF-certified culinary job training programs for low-income adults seeking living-wage foodservice careers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Worth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Pay-What-You-Can Restaurant Revenue: Guests pay what they can afford, what they would typically pay, or pay a little extra to help a neighbor. This creates a cross-subsidy model where those with means support those without.
2. Individual Donations: Monthly donors and one-time donations from individuals bridge the funding gap between restaurant donations and expenses to purchase food and pay staff/apprentices a living wage.
3. Private Event Hosting: Revenue from private dining events at $35 per guest plus gratuity, with proceeds supporting the mission. Events include rehearsal dinners, corporate events, and celebrations.
4. Culinary Job Training Program: Tuition-free program for low-income adults with paid work experience. Fort Worx program is a collaboration with Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County.
5. Corporate/Foundation Grants: Support from foundations including Amon G Carter Foundation, Charles Schwab Foundation, Holloway Family Foundation, Meadows Foundation, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Taste Project operates two pay-what-you-can Taste Community Restaurants in Fort Worth and Arlington, Texas, where guests can pay what they can afford, what they would typically pay, or extra to help neighbors. The organization also runs tuition-free culinary apprenticeship programs (CFC Pre-Apprenticeship, Fort Worx Accelerated, and a 2-year Sous Chef Apprenticeship) that provide ACF-certified training and paid work experience to low-income adults seeking living-wage foodservice careers.

Product overview

Taste Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating a portfolio of food security and culinary job training programs centered around its core offering, Taste Community Restaurant. The restaurant operates on a pay-what-you-can model at two locations (Fort Worth and Arlington, Texas), offering breakfast, lunch, and brunch with no prices on the menu. Complementing the restaurant are three distinct culinary job training programs: the self-paced CFC Pre-Apprenticeship Program, the accelerated Fort Worx Job Training Program (a Workforce Solutions partnership), and the 2-year Sous Chef Apprenticeship Program. Additional offerings include event hosting services (private dining, corporate events, fundraising dinners), seasonal menu tasting events, and the Matching March donation program. The organization relies on volunteers (called Taste Buds) who comprise 80% of the team.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Taste Community Restaurant Full-service pay-what-you-can restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and brunch at two Texas locations (Fort Worth and Arlington). Guests can pay what they can afford, what they would typically pay, or extra to subsidize neighbors in need. Menu changes seasonally with healthy and hearty options.
• CFC Pre-Apprenticeship Program Self-paced Certified Fundamental Cook (CFC) apprenticeship track combining hands-on work experience at Taste Community Restaurant with American Culinary Federation certified instruction. Includes 500 hours of instruction and work experience, flexible scheduling, job placement support, and faith-based discipleship. No prior foodservice experience required.
• Fort Worx Job Training Program Accelerated 16-week Certified Fundamental Cook apprenticeship track in partnership with Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County. Provides up to 500 hours of paid work experience in a full-service restaurant combined with ACF certification, one-on-one coaching, and faith-based discipleship for low-income adults.
• Sous Chef Apprenticeship Program 2-year American Culinary Federation Certified Sous Chef apprenticeship track for CFC graduates with leadership capability. Includes 4,000 hours of paid work experience, Department of Labor apprenticeship designation, 8 hours weekly instruction at the Culinary School of Fort Worth, and guaranteed job placement.
• Private Dining Room Private dining room at the Arlington location seating up to 32 guests, with built-in AV system, flexible layouts, and a fixed-price seasonal menu at $35 per guest plus gratuity. Available for meetings, trainings, and celebrations Wednesday through Saturday during lunch and brunch services.
• Event Hosting Private event hosting at both Fort Worth (10-75 guests) and Arlington (10-120 guests) locations. Events include rehearsal dinners, nonprofit events, corporate events, holiday parties, and fundraising dinners. Provides work experience for culinary apprentices while raising funds for the mission.

Quantifiable outcome

• 344,008 meals served to date
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Workforce Solutions for Tarrant CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner for the Fort Worx Accelerated Foodservice Apprenticeship Program, providing paid work experience as part of a tuition-free ACF-certified culinary training program. Eligibility requirements and funding support included.
• Tarrant Area Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Fort Worx program collaboration, working together to address food insecurity and provide workforce development in Tarrant County.
• Culinary School of Fort WorthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner providing ACF certification instruction for Fort Worx program and the 2-year Sous Chef Apprenticeship program. Apprentices receive 90+ hours of certified instruction.
• American Culinary FederationcoreOthersCertification body for CFC (Certified Fundamental Cook) and Sous Chef apprenticeship programs. All program graduates earn industry-recognized ACF certifications.
• Dickies ArenaminorOthersLocal employer that participates in Showcase Dinner recruitment events, hiring graduates of the culinary training program.
• Fixture Kitchen and Social LoungeminorOthersLocal employer that participates in Showcase Dinner recruitment events, hiring graduates of the culinary training program.
• Marriott DowntownminorOthersLocal employer that participates in Showcase Dinner recruitment events, hiring graduates of the culinary training program.
• Sage Dining ServicesminorOthersEmployer that participates in Showcase Dinner recruitment events, hiring graduates of the culinary training program.
• Texas Health ResourcesminorOthersHealthcare employer that participates in Showcase Dinner recruitment events, hiring graduates of the culinary training program.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SAME Café: SAME Café in Denver operates a pay-what-you-can community restaurant model with volunteer-driven operations and a similar mission of dignity-preserving food access, making it the closest direct peer to Taste Project in concept and structure.
• DC Central Kitchen: DC Central Kitchen operates a large-scale culinary training program with food production and distribution, sharing Taste Project's emphasis on ACF-aligned credentials and workforce pathways for low-income adults.
• A Place at the Table: A Place at the Table in Raleigh operates a pay-what-you-can café model with community volunteer engagement, addressing food insecurity through a similar dignity-centered dining approach as Taste Project.
• Community Servings: Community Servings in Boston provides medically tailored food and job training, operating with a workforce development program that intersects with Taste Project's culinary apprenticeship pipeline.
• Café Reconcile: Café Reconcile in New Orleans combines a nonprofit restaurant with a culinary job training program for at-risk youth, closely aligning with Taste Project's dual mission of food access and workforce development.
• One World Everybody Eats: One World in Salt Lake City runs a donation-based, pay-what-you-can restaurant in a community setting, directly mirroring Taste Project's hybrid model of feeding those in need while engaging paying volunteers and donors.

Emerging players

• LA Kitchen: LA Kitchen trains older adults and foster youth in culinary arts while reclaiming food, sharing Taste Project's emphasis on workforce development for underserved populations.
• Hot Bread Kitchen: Hot Bread Kitchen in New York provides culinary training and workforce development for immigrants and women, overlapping with Taste Project's CFC and Sous Chef Apprenticeship pathways.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tasteproject_
• Facebookfacebook.com/TasteProject
• Instagraminstagram.com/tasteproject_

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Taste Project