Black-Owned Sacramento Café Trains Young Chefs While Feeding Food-Insecure Communities

A Black-owned organization in Sacramento is helping fight food insecurity while giving young people and those experiencing homelessness a second chance.

Universoul Café, founded by Tonya Mack, began by recovering high-quality surplus food and distributing meals to the community. It has since expanded into a workforce development program, training young chefs from marginalized communities.

“I know what it feels like to go to bed hungry,” Mack said, explaining her mission to ensure others don’t experience the same hardship.

Participants receive hands-on culinary training while building job skills and confidence. The program also creates employment opportunities for people most impacted by food insecurity.

Despite a break-in last summer that resulted in more than $100,000 in stolen equipment, the organization rebounded with support from the community. Last year alone, Universoul Café delivered 17,000 meals, recovered more than 300,000 pounds of surplus food, and created 42 jobs in Sacramento County.

Mack says the mission goes beyond meals.

“We’re saving people one meal at a time,” she said. “But I believe we’re saving each other one meal at a time.”