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At first glance, The Bloom Café appears to be a typical café, with business people meeting for coffee and tables of students typing away on laptops. In fact, as a social enterprise for nonprofit Paraquad, it also serves a vital mission.
"We are preparing a group of individuals to fill what is a much-needed area of employment in St. Louis," says culinary director Joe Wilson, who spent six years teaching culinary arts in the St. Louis Public Schools district and is passionate about culinary education. “I believe there is a job for everyone in the hospitality field."
Designed to help people with disabilities prepare for employment and grow their independence, the café offers a three-stage job-training program. First, students attend 12 weeks of classroom-based lectures focused on culinary fundamentals, as well as hands-on training in a large teaching kitchen. Then, students participate in a paid internship in which they work in both the front and back of the house at the café, preparing the students to work in any area of the hospitality industry. Finally, Paraquad assists the students in writing résumés, preparing for interviews, and job placement.
Beyond providing crucial job training, Bloom offers breakfast and lunch. Pastries—including cinnamon buns, danish, and a selection of cookies—are baked in house. Breakfast options include such standards as Belgian waffles, stratas, breakfast sandwiches, breakfast burritos, steel cut oatmeal, and a tofu scramble. There's also a full espresso bar.
For lunch, there are sandwiches, wraps, salads, and soups. The Dogtown Stew, for instance, includes corned beef and cabbage, chunks of potatoes, carrots and onions in a savory broth, topped with pumpernickel rye bread croutons. “The vegan Caesar salad,” Wilson adds, “is an especially delicious option.” The café also offers grab-and-go platters, including cheese and fruit, cheese and antipasto, and crudité with hummus.
As per the name, fresh flowers brighten the atmosphere. Oversized lamps hang from the ceiling. Seating is plentiful with comfy, cushioned chairs and banquettes. A large group table is situated in the middle of the room, and there are electrical outlets aplenty. And the Garden Room, a private dining room connected to the café by glass doors, is available to rent.
