Ybor - A Second Chance Kitchen

Today Ybor had the opportunity to serve lunch at Ameritas with participants from our Pre-Apprenticeship program working the pop-up.

One of the things that makes our model unique is that training doesn’t stop in the classroom. Participants first complete our Intro to Culinary Fundamentals course where they learn foundational cooking skills and techniques. From there, are able to move into our Pre-Apprenticeship where they begin getting on-the-job experience through Ybor pop-ups and events.

Cooking in a classroom is very different than preparing food for paying customers. At pop-ups, participants learn prep work, communication, teamwork, consistency, pacing, and how to execute under pressure during service. It gives people the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in a real environment while also helping us identify strengths and areas for growth

Every participant who completes the Pre-Apprenticeship leaves with hands-on experience and a letter of recommendation from Ybor and job seek support. We take the skills we've observed and help participants connect with restaurant partners throughout the community.

We’re proud of the crew that served today and grateful to Ameritas for the opportunity to partner with us and support this work.