Michele StuevenYoung chefs from the 60th Street Cafe, a new student-run cafe and culinary training program at The Beehive cultural campus in South LA, celebrated graduation last week with a four-course luncheon and dinner service that rivaled any restaurant menu.
The program is part of the SoLa Foundation, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to ending intergenerational poverty through education, community development, and career training. Every meal served supports local students as they build careers in the food and hospitality space, bringing affordable and healthy meals to neighbors of a food desert.
Helmed by Erika Alexandre, the Lead Culinary Instructor, the cafe serves as a grab-and-go option for those who work at the Beehive campus and the surrounding neighborhood. All cafe profits go directly back into workforce programs.
The 60th Street Cafe (Michele Stueven)
Through its programs in tech, entertainment, and culinary arts, SoLa is building pathways to opportunity for a 96% BIPOC, 100% low-income community. These programs, and the cafe, are all part of SoLa’s broader ecosystem of culinary arts, tech, and entertainment, which is funded by organizations like Live Nation, Riot Games, and Snap Inc.
Since the cafe opened in October in partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity, the SoLa Foundation will train 100 students over the next year through a six-week paid fellowship covering culinary arts, restaurant and catering operations, entrepreneurship, and workplace soft skills. Graduates then receive on-the-job training. The social enterprise serves breakfast, lunch, coffee, and specialty drinks, with students participating in the operations of the cafe, providing students with real-world experience to build their resumes.
SoLa has partnered with local culinary leaders and institutions like Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen, Alta Adams, Chef’s Catering, Rio Hondo AJCC, and others to provide internships, mentorship, and employment opportunities.
Field trip to Dulan’s on Crenshaw (Courtesy 60th Street Cafe)
Drawing on familial and cultural inspiration from Ethiopian to Indian fusion, things kicked off with a trio of appetizers: BBQ ribs with blackberry sauce, chili chicken, and lentil sambusas with cilantro cream. The entrees included a spicy rasta pasta with salmon cooked to perfection and mixed peppers, as well as slow-braised oxtail lasagne in a creamy, cheesy bechamel sauce. The dessert tray was a melange of lemon bars with strawberries and mint ribbons, hazelnut cream puffs, and an almond opera cake.
The Beehive in South LA is a 104,000 sq. ft. campus made up of eight buildings that have been renovated and restored, keeping their historic integrity and making the campus state-of-the-art at the same time.
It’s a cultural and entrepreneurial hub for Black and Brown communities, providing a rotating variety of events and programs focused on economic development and cultural awareness. The Beehive is ground zero for the revitalization of the South LA community in a professional environment, and is a vibrant center for underrepresented groups.
BBQ ribs with blackberry sauce (Michele Stueven)
Tenants at the 104,000-square-foot flagship campus include Kedren Health, a yoga studio, and the Technology and Entrepreneurship Center. The Tech & Entrepreneurship Center, sponsored by Riot Games, includes access to MacBooks, iPads, and digital production equipment and has provided internships at the gaming company.
Courtesy 60th Street Cafe