During the nine-week program at Café Reconcile, the trainees acquire skills in five different areas of restaurant work. They serve as hosts or hostesses and as table servers. They work with the executive chef on all the main dishes, including traditional New Orleans red beans and rice, sausage, and chicken. They also work with the sous-chef, who makes side dishes such as macaroni and cheese and vegetables, and with the person who makes the salads and desserts.

The food is classic New Orleans, that unbelievably delicious mixture of French and Spanish cuisines. Everything is fresh and made from scratch each day. The students also work with the steward, washing dishes and cleaning up. Each area has a mentor who works one-on-one with the students.

Lunch is served cafe­teria style from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm, and the tables are filled the entire time. The restaurant is packed with city workers, downtown executives, clergy, and elected officials, and there is usually a wait to be seated. The Café is unique in its appeal to such a cross section of races and economic status.

The day begins at 8:00 am with a prayer session. This is Sister Mary Lou’s favorite time of the day. Although Reconcile is a Christian-based organization, non-Christians are invited to participate. Following prayer, breakfast is served, along with a side order of discussion. Within an atmosphere of trust, students articulate their concerns and try to come up with solutions to the problems they face.

The daily routine continues until 4:00 pm. Programs have been set up to help dropouts finish high school. The students are also taught financial literacy, parenting skills, communication skills, and conflict resolution.

Above all, the Café offers a place of loving support where young people know they are safe. One student said, “The only time I feel safe is when I’m here between eight and four o’clock.” The students are not judged and are often affirmed, but they’re also challenged on any negative behaviors.

Besides training in job skills, participants learn how to interview for permanent food-service jobs in the New Orleans area. Each graduate is assigned a social worker who will accompany him or her on interviews. Sister Mary Lou tells students, “We will teach you how to interview and set up the interview for you. But we cannot get you the job. You will have to use the skills you learned at the Café.”

Because Café Reconcile is a highly sophisticated place for social networking, it partners with a variety of restaurants seeking to hire well-trained workers. These include the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, the Roosevelt Hotel, Tulane University, and the Oschner Hospitals. McDonald’s has also looked at Café Reconcile as a training institute.