On June 20, the Hoyt Street Station Community Café will open its doors to Lloyd District residents and neighbors, serving healthy and delicious salads, sandwiches and soups with a focus on locally-sourced ingredients. Named after the future nearby Portland Streetcar stop, the café is a joint collaboration between Metro’s Oregon Convention Center (OCC) and its food and beverage service contractor, Aramark/Giacometti Partners, Ltd.
A unique distinction of the Hoyt Street Station Community Café is its commitment to the “triple bottom line” – people, planet and profits – throughout all aspects of the operation.
The café will be staffed with Aramark employees, along with two paid interns participating in an 18-month food service management training program geared towards individuals in underserved communities who face barriers to entering culinary management careers. The program includes a broad array of topics including food production, service, safety and hygiene; menu planning and food procurement; employee supervision, training, scheduling and labor relations; sales and marketing; cash and inventory controls; and customer service. Divided into three sections, interns will begin with six months of hands-on training and instruction at the OCC, followed by two six-month segments, back and front-of-house, in the café. Upon completion of the program, participants will be eligible to apply for additional grants to be used for culinary school tuition or as seed money to start their own businesses.
During café construction, attention was paid to utilizing local contractors classified as minority and/or women-owned or emerging small businesses (MWESB), and firms located within in the immediate vicinity of the OCC, known as the First Opportunity Target Area or FOTA. Of the thirteen contracts awarded, eleven were to MWESB and/or FOTA businesses, totaling roughly two-thirds of the total contract dollars.
Efforts were also focused on using local, recycled, reused and LEED-certified products and materials. Energy-efficient refrigerators, dishwasher, hand dryers and lighting were installed. The carpet, table bases and chairs, and fluorescent lights are reused and the bar and table tops were constructed with reclaimed wood from Refind, a division of the Rebuilding Center. Portland-based Schoolhouse Electric light fixtures offset walls covered in Metro’s recycled paint, recycled quartz countertops and tile backsplash and Evoke vinyl flooring. A refurbished classroom chalkboard serves as the menu display.
“It is extremely satisfying to see our vision for the community café project come to fruition,” says Jeff Blosser, Executive Director of the Oregon Convention Center. “Creating good jobs that translate into successful and meaningful careers is what we do at the Oregon Convention Center. With the support of Metro and partnership of Aramark/Giacometti, we’re able to make a huge difference in the lives of those who need it.”
Profits from the project will be reinvested into the café and internship program. Recruitment is currently underway for interested individuals. Applications and more information can be downloaded at http://www.oregoncc.org/communitycafe/.
Located at the northwest corner of the Metro Regional Center plaza, at 622 N.E. Grand Avenue in Portland, the Hoyt Street Station Community Café will be open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. beginning June 20, 2011.
Media contact: Stephanie Soden, Metro Visitor Venues, 503-797-1818 (office), 971-227-1195 (cell), Stephanie.Soden@oregonmetro.gov
