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Cafe 458 Gets Hollywood Makeover
By Caitlin Aronin
A special local restaurant, Cafe 458, has gotten a makeover courtesy of designer Brian Flynn and TBS’ Movie & A Makeover. The cafe, located at 458 Edgewood Ave., is operated by The Samaritan House of Atlanta. Its motto: "Eat well, do good."
Cafe 458 applied for the makeover about two years ago; TBS’ Movie & A Makeover had never undertaken a project of such magnitude, which is why the station paired it with Titanic, one of the biggest blockbuster films ever made. The movie and look inside the cafe aired earlier this summer. "This opportunity could not have come at a better time," said Sherrie Snipes-Williams, executive director of Samaritan House, who noted the cafe is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
The formerly bland cafeteria setting has been transformed into a warm bistro with rich chocolate-colored walls and beautifully contrasting white furniture. Everything has been redone from the copper ceiling tiles to new silverware. Seating capacity has been increased by making use of vertical space for the dishes.
Monday through Friday, Cafe 458 serves approximately 250 men and women struggling with mental and physical disabilities, addictions, and other issues that prevent them from working. Although the cafe primarily serves the homeless, it is not your average soup kitchen. The guests are seated at tables and served by waiters and waitresses just like in any other fine-dining establishment. The entire kitchen and wait staff is composed of local volunteers.
Guests at Cafe 458 are referred from other social service organizations once they have met a 30-day sobriety requirement and are stabilized on appropriate medication. Each person is required to set three attainable goals, anything from getting eye glasses to getting in touch with estranged family members, as part of Samaritan House’s life stabilization program.
For most of Cafe 458’s patrons, said Dana Inman, the organization’s director of development and marketing, "this is their only meal of the day….It’s really important when you are homeless because you don’t get to choose a lot of things: where you are going to sleep, what you are going to eat, when you are going to eat. It’s giving them back the dignity they lose when they become homeless."
The food developed such a reputation that four years ago Samaritan House decided to open the restaurant to the public for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Proceeds from the weekend brunch, including tips, help support the organization’s larger mission of helping its disadvantaged clients during the week. The idea has been a success.
The menu, developed by Chef Johnathan Metellus, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, offers such dishes as Southern Comfort-infused French toast, Carolina pulled-pork eggs Benedict and Costa Rican pancakes.
The Samaritan House is can always use more help. www.samhouse.org or call (404) 523-1239.
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