Café Reconcile
Café Reconcile is a New Orleans-based nonprofit operating a 14-week paid workforce training program for young adults ages 16-24, combined with a functioning training restaurant whose 100% of profits fund the program. The organization has trained over 2,000 interns since 2000 with an 85-86% job placement rate.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersNew Orleans, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Café Reconcile does
Café Reconcile, legally Reconcile New Orleans, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2000 by Craig Cuccia in New Orleans' Central City neighborhood at 1631 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. The organization operates a dual-purpose model that combines a 14-week paid workforce training program for young adults ages 16-24 with a functioning training restaurant serving New Orleans cuisine (catfish plates, po'boys, gumbo, fried chicken) Tuesday through Friday, 11AM to 2:30PM. One hundred percent of restaurant profits fund interns' paid stipends and learning opportunities, making dining customers direct participants in the training mission. The program delivers culinary and hospitality skills training, industry credentials, career coaching, externship placements, and wraparound support services (mental health, housing, transportation, childcare, benefits navigation). Graduates receive 12 months of post-graduation alumni services, and the organization maintains an 85-86% job placement rate with over 2,000 alumni since 2000.
The technology footprint is intentionally minimal: no proprietary platform exists, with operations relying on standard restaurant tooling (Toast Tab for online ordering, OpenTable for reservations, Squarespace for web). Revenue is sourced from individual and corporate donations, foundation grants (including a historic MacKenzie Scott gift in February 2024), catering and private events in the Emeril Lagasse Hospitality Suite and courtyard, the SUNdays at Reconcile Sunday brunch series ($80 per guest), and earned restaurant revenue. The program enrolls 120-130 interns annually and serves 200+ alumni through ongoing coaching. Strategic partnerships span employment placement (Walmart, Royal Sonesta, Higgins Hotel, Compère Lapin, Kimpton Hotel Fontenot, Commander's Palace), financial capability (Hancock Whitney, J.P. Morgan Chase, and four regional banks), mental health (Children's Bureau of New Orleans), and statewide advocacy (Louisiana Opportunity Youth Alliance, STRIVE). Current leadership includes CEO Kheri Billy (appointed 2023), Chief Development Officer Caitlin Scanlan, Chief Program Officer Monique Robinson, and Chief Culinary Officer Chef Martha Wiggins.
Café Reconcile firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Café Reconcile
- Legal name
- Reconcile New Orleans, Inc.
- Website
- https://cafereconcile.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Café Reconcile is a New Orleans-based nonprofit operating a 14-week paid workforce training program for young adults ages 16-24, combined with a functioning training restaurant whose 100% of profits fund the program. The organization has trained over 2,000 interns since 2000 with an 85-86% job placement rate.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Café Reconcile industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Workforce Development Services
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Educational Services (611), Caterers (722320)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coworking Cafes / Work Cafes (THAFADAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Independent Neighborhood Cafes (THAFADAC), Culinary Skills Workshops (Baking, Regional Cooking, Food Prep Skills) (THAJAKAE), Coffee Shops, Cafés & Beverage Programs (EDALADAG)
Keywords
Where Café Reconcile is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New Orleans
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Café Reconcile business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants (MacKenzie Scott, AmeriHealth Caritas Foundation $125,000, Jacques Pepin Foundation, Holt Family Foundation $20,000 matching gift)
- Event Hosting and Catering: Private events, catering services, SUNdays at Reconcile brunch series ($80 per guest), and event space rentals support program funding.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Restaurant Menu Pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | SUNdays at Reconcile Brunch Series |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Donation-Based Support |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Café Reconcile product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Café Reconcile is a nonprofit that runs a 14-week paid workforce training program preparing young adults ages 16-24 for careers through hands-on culinary and hospitality training at its own New Orleans training restaurant, supplemented by case management, career coaching and wraparound support. The restaurant's dining, catering and event revenue, together with donations and grants, funds the program.
Product overview
Café Reconcile operates as a unified non-profit organization combining a workforce training program with a functioning training restaurant. The core offering is the 14-week Workforce Training Program that prepares young adults ages 16-24 for careers through hands-on culinary and hospitality experience at Café Reconcile, supplemented by career coaching, case management, and wraparound support services. Alumni Services extends support for 12 months post-graduation. Additional revenue-generating activities include Catering & Events (utilizing the venue for private bookings) and the SUNdays at Reconcile special dining experience. The restaurant itself functions as both the training ground and a revenue stream, with all profits reinvested into program operations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Workforce Training Program A 14-week paid workforce development program that prepares young adults ages 16-24 for employment or education through culinary and hospitality training, professional skills development, career coaching, and real-world experience in the training restaurant. Interns receive individualized case management, earn industry credentials, and explore career pathways.
- Café Reconcile Restaurant A non-profit training restaurant open Tuesday-Friday 11AM-2:30PM serving New Orleans soul food cuisine including catfish plates, po' boys, fried chicken, and gumbo. The restaurant is the primary hands-on training environment for interns, with 100% of profits funding the workforce training program.
- Alumni Services Post-program support services provided to graduates for 12 months following completion, including ongoing career coaching, personal challenge support, childcare assistance, benefits navigation, and connections to community resources. Includes the Alumni Advisory Council for peer support and leadership development.
- Catering & Events Private event hosting services utilizing the café's courtyard and Emeril Lagasse Hospitality Suite for weddings, rehearsals, showers, and corporate events. The second-floor space also serves as the daily training venue for interns.
- SUNdays at Reconcile A special Sunday lunch series featuring family-style, fixed-menu dining experiences at communal tables. At $80 per guest, the events support workforce training with seasonal menus and live music in the courtyard.
Quantifiable outcome
- 85-86% of graduates connect to workforce or further education
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Café Reconcile
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Café Reconcile technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Café Reconcile partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- STRIVEcorePartnership since 2022 through the Future Leaders Program for young adults ages 18-24 impacted by the criminal legal system. Combines workforce training, career exploration, educational enrichment, work experience, leadership development, and personalized support. STRIVE provides both programmatic expertise and funding support to strengthen workforce training.
- Yeah YogaminorWellness partnership where interns and staff explore movement, mindfulness, and wellness practices to reduce stress and build healthy habits. Includes Wellness Wednesdays activities for team physical and mental well-being.
- Children's Bureau of New OrleanscoreMental health partnership providing weekly on-site clinician and community mental health navigator. Helps young people access trauma counseling, emotional support, and mental health resources in a trusted environment.
- Louisiana Opportunity Youth Alliance (LOYAL)coreStatewide network committed to ensuring young people have access to relationships, resources, and opportunities. Reconcile is a founding member. Policy priorities include expanding career pathways, strengthening wraparound services, and advancing economic security policies.
- Hotel de la PosteminorEmployment Partner providing externship opportunities for program interns in hospitality settings.
- Higgins HotelminorEmployment Partner hosting externs Myshia (back of house culinary) and Kovin (front of house customer service).
- Commander's PalaceminorRestaurant partner featuring Shrimp Remoulade Bites at SUNday Social event. Represents hospitality industry partnership.
- Turkey & the WolfminorRestaurant partner featuring Cabbage and Crispy Pork Salad at SUNday Social event. Part of hospitality partner network.
- Mister MaominorRestaurant partner featuring Kashmiri Fried Chicken Curry at SUNday Social event. Part of partner chef network.
- Compère LapinminorRestaurant owned by Nina Compton and Larry Miller (Between Bites podcast hosts). Alumni Keenan Jordan works at Compère Lapin. Features alumni in culinary demonstrations.
- New Orleans Career CentercorePartnership for career and technical education. Featured in 'Does Your City Love You Back?' podcast discussing career coaching and CTE pathways.
- DePaul Community Health CentersminorYouth Advocate sponsor and community health partner supporting wraparound services.
- WDSUcoreMedia partner producing 'Does Your City Love You Back?' podcast series exploring youth workforce development and community impact.
- New Orleans Children & Youth Planning BoardcoreYouth Advocate sponsor and collaborative partner for youth master planning and Opportunity Youth advocacy.
- Performance Food GroupminorFood service supplier sponsor for graduation ceremonies and program support.
- Inland SeafoodminorSeafood supplier sponsor supporting graduation events and culinary training.
- Coca-ColaminorBeverage partner and in-kind sponsor for events and graduation celebrations.
- Jacobs, Roe, LLCminorLegal services partner supporting organizational needs.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Café Reconcile competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hot Bread Kitchen: New York City nonprofit bakery and culinary-training program serving immigrant women and other adults facing barriers to employment—shares Reconcile's training-restaurant model, wraparound support services, and focus on credential-building for underserved populations.
- Kitchens for Good: San Diego nonprofit operating Project Restore (a paid 12-week culinary training program) and catering/meal-production revenue streams that subsidize training—the same revenue-diversification approach (earned food-service income + donations) that Café Reconcile uses.
- DC Central Kitchen: Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that combines a large-scale food production operation with culinary job training for adults facing barriers to employment—the same dual-mission (food service + workforce development) operating model that Café Reconcile runs at a smaller scale.
- Edwins Restaurant & Butcher Shop: Cleveland fine-dining restaurant and workforce training program for formerly incarcerated adults, combining a high-end restaurant with a six-month culinary apprenticeship—closely mirrors Reconcile's earn-and-learn restaurant-training approach with a different target population.
- Café Momentum: Dallas-based nonprofit restaurant and training program serving at-risk youth ages 15-19 with a 12-month paid culinary and life-skills curriculum—the closest conceptual twin to Café Reconcile, including the public-facing restaurant, paid intern model, and post-program support.
Broad incumbents
- Catalyst Kitchens: National nonprofit network and consulting group connecting more than 60 food-service-based workforce training programs—including direct peers like Café Reconcile—via shared standards, procurement leverage, and capacity-building; a broader-incumbent trade association for the category Reconcile operates in.
- Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United): National nonprofit advocating for restaurant workers' wages and working conditions and operating workforce development programs across multiple U.S. cities—an adjacent incumbent working in the same hospitality-workforce ecosystem but focused on adult incumbent workers rather than opportunity youth.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Café Reconcile social profiles
Digital presenceCafé Reconcile financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Café Reconcile leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Café Reconcile funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Café Reconcile M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Café Reconcile
What does Café Reconcile do?
Café Reconcile is a nonprofit that runs a 14-week paid workforce training program preparing young adults ages 16-24 for careers through hands-on culinary and hospitality training at its own New Orleans training restaurant, supplemented by case management, career coaching and wraparound support. The restaurant's dining, catering and event revenue, together with donations and grants, funds the program.
Is Café Reconcile a public or private company?
Café Reconcile is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Café Reconcile founded?
Café Reconcile was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Café Reconcile based?
Café Reconcile is headquartered in New Orleans, United States, in the North America region.
How does Café Reconcile make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are event Hosting and Catering.
Who are Café Reconcile's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hot Bread Kitchen, Kitchens for Good, DC Central Kitchen, Edwins Restaurant & Butcher Shop and Café Momentum. Broad incumbents are Catalyst Kitchens and Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United).
Does Café Reconcile have an API?
No public API is recorded for Café Reconcile.
What industry is Café Reconcile in?
Café Reconcile's product category is Workforce Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFADAJ, Coworking Cafes / Work Cafes, with a secondary code of THAFADAC, Independent Neighborhood Cafes. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.