In April, the renowned James Beard Foundation’s Achievement Awards committee announced Chad Houser, Founder of Café Momentum, as the 2025 Humanitarian of The Year.
The award is given to “an individual or organization working in the realm of food who has given selflessly and worked tirelessly to better the lives of others and society at large.” It is intended to reward those “making a profound impact on the food system through advocacy, sustainability and communitydriven initiatives” and to celebrate those who use “food as a force for good” by addressing vital subjects within the larger food sphere.
As a chef, Houser saw the potential to do such good by founding the award-winning nonprofit restaurant staffed almost entirely by justice-involved youth, which he opened in 2015 after years of fundraising. The organization is dedicated to equipping teens aged 15 to 19 with skills, support, education and employment opportunities in the culinary industry.
The model has since expanded to Pittsburgh and Atlanta, with Denver planned as a fourth location in 2026 and the goal of establishing 10 locations by 2035.
“It has been the honor of my life to work alongside more than 1,200 justiceinvolved youth who have transformed their lives,” Houser says.
Café Momentum, he says, “reflects the power and potential of every young person when we believe in them. When we provide the tools, resources, and opportunities they deserve, they rise every single time. Together, we are proving that every young person deserves a seat at the table” and reshaping the culture around the support of youth.
Previous honorees include Grace Young for her mission to save New York’s Chinatown and the nonprofit Zero Foodprint that helps restaurants assess their emissions and purchase carbon offsets.
DETAILS www.cafemomentum.org
EVE HILL-AGNUS teaches English and journalism and is a freelance writer based in Dallas. She earned degrees in English and Education from Stanford University. Her work has appeared in the Dallas Morning News, D Magazine, and the journal Food, Culture & Society. She remains a contributing Food & Wine columnist for the Los Altos Town Crier, the Bay-Area newspaper where she stumbled into journalism by writing food articles during grad school. Her French-American background and childhood spent in France fuel her enduring love for French food and its history. She is also obsessed with goats and cheese.
