Can you believe that in a few months, 2024 will mark the 20th anniversary of starting Old Skool Cafe in my little apartment in Potrero Hill?! It doesn’t feel possible that so much time has passed, until those moments when I catch up with our alumni who are now GROWN and thriving adults, many with children of their own now!
Seeing our alumni flourishing is a beautiful answer to my prayers all those years ago, to find a better option for our young people than just locking them up. As I reflect, my heart overflows with gratitude for all of you, our incredible community. You have made this prayer and dream a reality for so many youth, because of your support of Old Skool Cafe.
There will be many more mushy letters and ponderings to come since this is such a special milestone year, so I will keep this one short and get to some exciting news!
Old Skool Cafe is in a season of growth, starting with building the capacity of our team. Turnover in the hospitality industry and nonprofit industry are both high and we live in both of these worlds. We have had many lean periods but we currently have team members in place who bring a breadth and level of skills which we have been working to obtain for years. With the right front line team in place we are well poised to grow our business which in turn provides more training opportunities and lets us better prepare our youth, as well as increase the number of youth our business can support.
It is with great joy that I introduce you to our new Interim Executive Director, Dan Escobar, who is stepping in to lead our organization and wonderful team in this season!
I met Dan many years ago at an organization he co-founded, Kitchens With Mission. At the time, I was researching similar models to the vision I had for Old Skool Cafe. When I thought of the type of leader I was looking for to lead in this next stage of growth for Old Skool Cafe, Dan was at the top of my list to recruit.
Dan and I share a deep focus on integrity, trust, and acceptance for people and their willingness to grow and change. He comes to us with a wealth of experience in the social enterprise sector, as well as employee engagement and program management experience at Amazon corporate. His unique background as well as his passion for people, food, and organizational culture will be a great addition to our team.
Many of you know that Cora Jean’s Old Skool Cafe is named after my sweet mother. My mother has given her whole life in service and care of others, but the past year, she faced some significant health problems. Bringing Dan on board gives me an opportunity to spend time with her and help provide the care she needs in this season of her life.
It also gives me the space to focus my role on fundraising, partnerships and growth for Old Skool Cafe. It has long been my goal to shift my work towards supporting strategic growth. An Executive Director to lead our organization makes this goal a reality. I am tremendously grateful that this time has arrived.
This is an exciting season of growth for Old Skool Cafe. Please join me in welcoming Dan Escobar to our Old Skool Cafe family and say hello in person next time you dine with us, or if you join us at the Gala this weekend!
Founder & President,
Teresa Goines
Seventeen years ago, when Teresa and I first met, I knew I was connecting with someone special. We were both in early phases of building our organizations. Over the years I have excitedly watched Old Skool Cafe grow from a dream to a reality, and from a scrappy start up in a home kitchen, to a breathtaking restaurant and catering business! On a visit to San Francisco I met with Teresa at her house, and she showed me how she used the space for events and how the community came together to support. We stood at the window overlooking Bayview and once again she shared her dreams of growth and being able to serve more youth and become a beneficial presence in the community.
Meanwhile, I had launched Kitchens With Mission with my partner David Carleton. The unique niche we were focused on was foodservice based social enterprise. We believed in leveraging actual business as a foundation for on-the-job training, and the unique opportunities available within the foodservice sector.
I am honored and excited to work alongside Teresa and help steward our organization into the next season of growth and success! My focus over the coming year will be on stability, growth and support for the program and our amazing team. OSC is a tremendous example of success, and the team is “doing it” every day!
Collectively, we have 140 years of hospitality experience and 118 years of nonprofit experience. I am eager to focus on growing our business while also creating new hands-on learning opportunities, focusing on sustainability and scalability.
I am excited for you to dine with us and consider us for all your catering needs. Visit us for Happy Hour on Wednesdays and watch your mail and inboxes for exciting new opportunities to support OSC over the coming months.
I cherish the opportunity to lead a team like this and to continue to drive a mission as powerful as ours. On behalf of the Old Skool Cafe team, I thank you for being part of our community, and for being champions for our young people.
Dan Escobar
Executive Director, Interim
