By Veronica Maciag
Susanna’s Café, in Hough’s MidTown community, is a café located inside the new Cleveland Foundation headquarters. It has been running for just a few months.
Susanna’s offers everything one would expect a café to have—but with a unique twist. Partnering with HELP Harvest, the café food creates a distinct “seed to table” atmosphere. Specifically, due to the HELP Harvest Greenhouse, Susanna’s is privy to a personal supplier of fresh produce and, courtesy of the HELP Harvest Kitchen, uniquely packaged meals as well.
Besides the food they produce themselves, the café actively partners with local food vendors in the MidTown district. By offering a wide variety of Cleveland’s food scene, the café has found a wonderful way to grow in just a brief time.
Susanna’s goes beyond just feeding the community. As an independent organization, HELP Harvest acts as a stepping-stone toward community employment for select Clevelanders. Susanna’s, in turn, supports this vision by employing individuals with intellectual and physical challenges. By working in the café, or the two HELP Harvest facilities, these individuals receive vocational training in preparing, cooking, and packing the food Susanna’s offers.
Ultimately, Susanna’s Café represents a business that feeds the community, while also making the area that much more inclusive and vibrant. It’s a place you truly need to see in action the next time you’re in the area.