OUR MISSION
Since 2019, IMPACT has been on a mission to combat the high unemployment rates among young Black and Brown adults from Chicago's West Side while addressing the need for skilled kitchen staff in Chicago's vibrant restaurants.

Established ​by renowned chef, Rick Bayless, this culinary training program is open to Chicago adults between the ages of 18-24 and includes an 8-week classroom course, followed by a 4-week paid internship at a Chicagoland restaurant. To date, we have already helped train over 150 young adults and added 120 employment opportunities to Chicago's hospitality industry.

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What will Impact students learn?
This program will help prepare students for an entry-level job at a restaurant to start your career. This includes: food handling certificate, job readiness skills, food preparation, equipment identification, knife skills, product identification, storage, cooking methods, and nutrition.

What does a prep cook do?
Prep cooks are members of the kitchen who do much of the preparation for the dishes that a restaurant serves. The work includes chopping vegetables, weighing and mixing ingredients, cutting and preparing meat, and more to allow chefs and cooks to create meals. ​

More Details
We encourage interested young adults to fill out the application and share the program with anyone who's ready to launch their culinary career. ​

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LOCATION & HOURS

​Impact Kitchen @ The Hatchery
​135 N. Kedzie
​Chicago, IL 60447

​Monday - Thursday
9am - 4pm