Nonprofit’s new cafe will help organization expand its service

When Freedom a la Cart’s flagship cafe and bakery opens April 5 at 123 E. Spring St., it will represent the end of several years of planning.

“It’s been a dream of the organization for over seven years,” said CEO Paula Haines. “To actually see it in action and the results is really overwhelming.”

Freedom a la Cart works to help survivors of sex trafficking become self-sufficient. The organization is a full-service catering company, employing local survivors. During the pandemic, the organization pivoted to offer Freedom at Home, a weekly meal delivery service prepped by the women of Freedom a la Cart.

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But Haines said the organization’s new cafe will provide more opportunities for survivors to be employed and more avenues for them to learn new skillsets. The cafe will allow the organization to double the number of women in the program, taking it from about seven individuals to as many as 20.

Now, survivors will be able to be trained as baristas, line cooks, and bakers, she said.

The new cafe will be open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, Haines said. Customers will be able to get croissants and pastries that are made fresh daily. The space is also partnering with Crimson Cup for locally roasted coffee.

Meals are made from scratch in the kitchen. Among the menu items is a breakfast sandwich with house-made rosemary lemon breakfast sausage with provolone cheese, roasted garlic, aioli, and arugula on a toasted Paesano roll. There’s also turmeric chai porridge, with honey, coconut flakes, chai-soaked raisins, and pomegranate molasses.

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