A Dining Experience That Feeds the Soul
Step into our 1920s-style speakeasy jazz restaurant and discover more than just incredible food. As a faith-based, violence prevention program, Old Skool Cafe empowers at-risk, formerly incarcerated, and foster care youth (ages 16–22) through job training, employment, and a supportive community. Our youth-run supper club serves soulful, global comfort food inspired by the rich cultural heritage of our young chefs—from West Africa to the American South. Here, every dish tells a story of resilience, transformation, and hope.
Located in the Dynamic Bayview District
Restaurant Hours
Dinner Service: Wednesday – Saturday
5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Live Music Nightly: 5:45 PM - 9:00 PM
Location
1429 Mendell Street
San Francisco, CA 94124
(415) 822-8531
contact@oldskoolcafe.org
Parking
Limited free parking is available directly in front of our restaurant on Mendell Plaza. Additional free street parking is available along Oakdale Ave.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Our youth-run supper club serves soulful, international comfort food inspired by the rich cultural heritage of our young chefs—from West Africa to the American South.
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Yes! Our professional chefs and mentors train our youth culinary artists to ask about, recognize, and accommodate dietary restrictions. We will always do our best to ensure your meal is both safe and enjoyable.
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Our corkage fee is $20 per bottle
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We handle to-go orders both by phone and in person. Call us: 415-822-8531
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Currently, we do not offer delivery services, except for catering orders.
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We are not currently open for lunch; however, we plan to open for lunch in the future!
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We offer a wide range of catering options, including full-service off-site catering, buffet setups, and drop-offs. We also host private buyouts in our uniquely designed space!
Empowering Youth Through the Art and Business of Hospitality
Welcome! Old Skool Cafe is a faith-based, violence prevention program, that provides job training, employment and a second chance at life by way of a 1920’s speakeasy, jazz restaurant, run by at-risk, formerly incarcerated and foster care youth ages 16-22.
For more than two decades, Old Skool Cafe has been more than just a workplace—we’ve been a launchpad for change. We provide meaningful jobs, hands-on training, mentorship, and a supportive community for at-risk, formerly incarcerated, and foster care youth. Here, you’re not just clocking in. You’re showing up as your full self—and we’re here to help you grow, heal, and thrive.
Meet Our Founder and CEO, Theresa Goines
Teresa Goines is the founder and CEO of Old Skool Cafe – a supper club run by at-risk youth in San Francisco, which provides training, jobs, and a second chance at life for youth coming out of incarceration and foster care. Teresa's experience working with gang-affiliated youth, as a juvenile correction officer, impacted her life in a way that changed her forever. Their stories gave her an in-depth understanding of how many young people end up on such a destructive path. They compelled her to find a solution to the hopelessness she saw in the lives of incarcerated and forgotten youth.
Teresa's mission is to permanently break the cycle of incarceration by giving young people hope, economic opportunities, and training in a supportive environment where they can grow emotionally, physically, and spiritually. From this passion, the concept of Old Skool Cafe was born in 2005.
Ms. Goines has received several awards and recognition for her work with Old Skool Cafe and the Bayview Community: 2013 CNN Hero Award, 2012 Wells Fargo Community Spirit Award, 2011 Bank of America – Neighborhood Excellence Local Hero Award, 2011 Westmont Global Alumni Award, 2009 FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award, 2008 Jefferson Award, and 2006 San Francisco Foundation Koshland Bayview Fellowship Award.
