Gas South Partner Spotlight: Cafe
Momentum

This week, we continue our Fuel For Good Ally spotlight series with a highlight of our charitable partner Café Momentum, where every dish is put together by a young person rewriting their future.

As one of our newest Fuel For Good allies, Café Momentum officially opened the doors to its Atlanta location in March 2025. This transformative organization is dedicated to offering opportunities for youth caught up in the juvenile justice system, providing paid, year-long internships in the restaurant industry for youth ages 15 to 19.

Gas South is proud to partner with this important non-profit. As a company committed to helping support children in need, we donate millions of dollars each year to organizations that focus on childhood basic needs, education and health. We were pleased to give $250,000 to Café Momentum in our 2024/25 donation cycle as part of our commitment to Be A Fuel For Good®.

Currently, the restaurant employs about 80 interns annually, with a goal of getting each participant through the program and, ultimately, into a job that pays a living wage. Interns rotate through roles as cooks, servers and bussers, while also receiving mental health services, academic and financial education, case management, career training, job placement, parenting classes and group therapy, depending on the needs of each participant.

Located in Atlanta’s historic downtown Southern Exchange Ballroom building—where Macy’s used to exist—Café Momentum is also praised for its food, receiving strong positive reviews from critics and diners alike. Southern Living called Café Momentum a “recipe for success,” highlighting its cuisine and transformative mission.

The organization started in 2015 in Dallas, where founder and chef Chad Houser was inspired to make a difference after teaching a class on ice cream making at a juvenile detention center. Houser realized many of the children he encountered would never have the chance to break through systemic barriers placed before them. By 2023, he had opened another location in Pittsburgh, soon followed by the Atlanta Café Momentum Gas South partners with.

Following the success of Café Momentums in Dallas, Pittsburgh and Atlanta, the organization says it has plans to expand into Denver, Baltimore and Houston.

Thanks for reading our blog on Atlanta’s Café Momentum, just one of the great nonprofits we’re excited to partner with. Stay tuned for more on our Fuel For Good allies and our other charitable efforts.