SPOONS Cambodia Organization

What SPOONS Cambodia Organization does

SPOONS Cambodia Organization is a Cambodian non-profit social enterprise headquartered in Siem Reap that trains underprivileged young adults for hospitality careers through its Hospitality Development Program, covering Food & Beverage, Culinary Arts, and Housekeeping. The training is delivered in part through SPOONS Café and Restaurant, a full-service restaurant open 7am-10pm daily that serves creative, authentic Cambodian cuisine inspired by research across the country's 24 provinces. One hundred percent of restaurant profits are reinvested into the organization's students, creating a self-funding training loop.

The organization was originally established in 2009 as EGBOK Mission, a US-registered non-profit that signed MOUs with Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training. In 2021 it transitioned to become entirely Cambodian-run under the SPOONS Cambodia Organization brand. The current operating model couples vocational training with a placement ecosystem: SPOONS partners with 20+ hospitality employers including Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra, Raffles Grand Hotel D'Angkor, Park Hyatt Siem Reap, Amansara, and Belmond La Résidence d'Angkor to channel graduates into internships and jobs. To date, the program has launched more than 600 hospitality careers, with 78 graduates in 2024 alone.

The business model mixes earned income from restaurant sales with philanthropic revenue from student sponsorships (USD 3,200 per full-program student) and smaller modular donations ($10-$75 line items) processed through Global Development Group (tax-deductible in US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, EU) and ABA Bank. Donor acquisition relies on TripAdvisor earned media, email newsletters, and word-of-mouth, with no formal sales motion. SPOONS has no proprietary software, app, or AI components; its core technology is operational — bamboo-architecture construction in partnership with Bambusa Global Ventures and a province-by-province culinary curriculum.

Name

SPOONS Cambodia Organization

Legal name

SPOONS Cambodia Organization

Website

https://spoonscambodia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SPOONS Cambodia Organization is a Cambodian non-profit social enterprise that trains underprivileged young adults in hospitality skills (F&B, Culinary, Housekeeping) through its Hospitality Development Program and SPOONS Café and Restaurant in Siem Reap, placing graduates into luxury-hotel jobs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Hospitality Training

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Food Service Contractors (722310), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (7225)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Retail-Eating Places (5812), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Catering & Banquet Operations (EDAOAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Catering & Events Food Service (EDALADAC), Food Service & Dining Operations Management (Managed Cafeterias) (EDAEALAG), Education Access & Quality (International Development) (BPAGABAE)

Keywords

• Hospitality training programs
• Vocational education services
• Social enterprise restaurant
• Youth skills development
• Community-based training

Headquarters

HQ city

Siem Reap

HQ country

Cambodia

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Sales (SPOONS Café and Restaurant): 100% of profits from the full-service restaurant go towards supporting SPOONS Cambodia Organization and its students. The restaurant serves authentic Cambodian cuisine and operates as a student training facility.
2. Student Sponsorships: Individual donations and sponsorships to support students' education in the Hospitality Development Program. Total sponsorship amount is USD 3,200 which supports training, materials, mentorship, and career development.
3. General Donations: Accepts donations of any amount through Global Development Group partner (for tax receipts in US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, EU) or direct bank transfer to ABA Cambodian bank account.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SPOONS Cambodia Organization runs a Hospitality Development Program that trains underprivileged Cambodian young adults (aged 18-24) in Food & Beverage, Culinary Arts, and Housekeeping skills, paired with a social enterprise training restaurant, SPOONS Café and Restaurant, where students gain hands-on practical experience. 100% of restaurant profits fund the organization's training programs and students.

Product overview

SPOONS Cambodia Organization operates two interconnected offerings: the Hospitality Development Program (a vocational training program) and SPOONS Café and Restaurant (a social enterprise restaurant). The training program educates underprivileged Cambodian youth in hospitality skills, while the café/restaurant serves as a practical training facility where students apply their learning. The restaurant generates 100% of its profits to sustain the training organization, creating a self-reinforcing social enterprise model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SPOONS Café and Restaurant
• Hospitality Development Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 600+ young adults launched hospitality careers
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Feel Good CoffeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoffee supplier from Phnom Penh providing beans for the restaurant's beverages. SPOONS uses their beans as part of the authentic Cambodian dining experience.
• SombaicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal producer of infused Cambodian rice wine used in cocktails at SPOONS Café.
• Bambusa Global VenturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPioneers in sustainably harvested bamboo providing building materials and bamboo products. Also provides sustainable source of livelihood for indigenous communities in Mondulkiri province.
• Life and Hope AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal NGO that makes SPOONS uniforms featuring traditional Cambodian Krama cloth. Runs community projects providing training and educational opportunities to underprivileged youth and women.
• Cambodia Doodle ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHand-sketched the mural adorning the wall behind the Spoons Bar.
• Advanced Bank of Asia Limited (ABA Bank)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCambodian bank providing secure online payment portal for direct donations including ABA Pay, Visa, MasterCard, and UnionPay.
• Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa ResortcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor hospitality partner providing internship and employment opportunities for SPOONS graduates.
• Raffles Grand Hotel D'AngkorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLuxury hotel partner providing internship and employment opportunities for SPOONS graduates.
• Park Hyatt Siem ReapcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospitality partner providing internship and employment opportunities for graduates.
• AmansaracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLuxury boutique hotel partner providing training and employment opportunities.
• Belmond (La Résidence d'Angkor)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLuxury resort partner providing internship and employment opportunities.
• Ecole D'hôtellerie Et Tourisme Paul DubruleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVocational training institution where staff members received initial hospitality training.
• Sala Bai Training SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCulinary training institution where alumni (SOK Kuntheary, SUN Sam Oath) received initial training.
• PEPY Empowering YouthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScholarship provider for students including staff members Bunty, Doeurn, and Chiy.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Cambodia)coreOthersGovernment ministry with memorandum of understanding for EGBOK/SPOONS operations in Cambodia.
• Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training (Cambodia)coreOthersGovernment ministry with memorandum of understanding for vocational training programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Kaliyan Mith: Cambodian NGO offering vocational training in hospitality and other trades to at-risk youth, including a training restaurant component. Comparable mission and target population, smaller scale, based in Siem Reap.
• Pour un Sourire d'Enfant (PSE): Phnom Penh-based NGO providing education and vocational training including hospitality, with on-site training restaurant and hotel. Comparable to SPOONS in mission (poverty alleviation through vocational training) and the social-enterprise training-restaurant model, though broader in scope.
• Children in Families: Cambodian social services NGO working on education, vocational training and family support for vulnerable youth. Comparable nonprofit mission and donor ecosystem, though without a hospitality-specialized training program.

Broad incumbents

• Friends International: Large social enterprise NGO operating a network of training restaurants and vocational programs across Cambodia and Southeast Asia for marginalized youth. Overlaps with SPOONS on hospitality training and social-enterprise restaurant model, but at significantly greater scale and geographic reach.
• Passport to Success (International Youth Foundation): International life-skills and workforce-readiness curriculum used by hospitality and tourism training programs globally. Comparable in curriculum content for soft skills and workforce preparation, though as a curriculum licensor rather than a direct operator.

Direct peers

• Marum Restaurant: Social-enterprise fine-dining restaurant in Siem Reap operated by Friends International, training disadvantaged youth in hospitality and culinary skills. Direct parallel to SPOONS Café: training restaurant in Siem Reap serving tourists while generating profits to fund youth education.
• Ecole d'Hôtellerie et de Tourisme Paul Dubrule: Cambodian hospitality and tourism vocational school operated by EU-funded projects, training underprivileged youth for Siem Reap's luxury hotel sector. SPOONS Deputy Director DOM Sambo is a Paul Dubrule alumnus, confirming direct competition for both students and placement partners.
• Sala Bai Training School: Siem Reap-based hospitality and culinary vocational training school serving underprivileged Cambodian youth, with similar employer-placement model. Multiple SPOONS alumni (SOK Kuntheary, SUN Sam Oath) were trained at Sala Bai, making it the most directly comparable training institution.

Others

• American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute: Industry-standard hospitality certification body providing curricula and credentials to schools worldwide. Adjacent to SPOONS' training program as a potential accreditation and curriculum partner, rather than a competitor.

Regional players

• PEPY Empowering Youth: Cambodian education and youth-development NGO that provides scholarships referenced in SPOONS' own history (Bunty, Doeurn, Chiy). Adjacent peer in mission and donor base, with a scholarship model rather than a training-restaurant model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spoons-cambodia-organization

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 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 SPOONS Cambodia Organization