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Eater
2 days ago
- Business
- Eater
Cafe Momentum Founder Chad Houser Cried and Laughed About Being the James Beard Humanitarian of the Year
Chad Houser opened Cafe Momentum in Downtown Dallas in 2015 with an impactful mission: to 'spark positive change' in people's lives by employing formerly incarcerated youth in the juvenile justice system and teaching them important life skills such as basic needs and resource navigation, conflict management, and financial literacy. To date, more than 1,000 kids have been involved in the program as paid interns, gaining an education in hospitality and discovering a career path through the employment opportunities provided by Cafe Momentum in Dallas, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Denver. This year, Houser is the recipient of the James Beard Award for Humanitarian of the Year. Eater Dallas caught up with Houser ahead of the ceremony, held this year on Monday, June 16, to discuss how he heard he would be receiving the award — and how it feels to break the city's 31-year losing streak at the Beards. He also discussed what's next for Cafe Momentum. Eater: How did you hear that you were getting this award? Chad Houser: I knew several months back that I was nominated, which I thought was cute and harmless. Several weeks before the announcement, I got an update that I was one of the five finalists. I thought I must be the 'common guy' finalist among four Jose Andrés equivalents. After that, two colleagues reached out to me within 30 seconds of each other, saying Dawn Padmore from the James Beard Foundation is trying to get hold of you. Our Dallas executive director, Margaret Reid Windham, said, 'You won! You had to have won!' I was like, 'Tap the brakes, friend. I'm sure it's a courtesy call to say, 'You were one of the finalists. Congratulations, you should be really proud.'' I would be exorbitantly proud. The fact that people at the James Beard Foundation know my name is beyond an honor. While I'm talking to Margaret, Dawn is calling me. When I answered, she said, 'It is my honor to call you and tell you that you are the 2025 James Beard Humanitarian of the Year.' I started bawling like a crybaby. I was driving north on Interstate 75 out of Downtown to go to the Communities Foundation of Texas to record a video, because we were the $500,000 grant recipients for the new flagship that we're building. So, I'm crying like a baby, and she's laughing. Dawn said, 'I'm sorry. Laughing is probably not the appropriate response.' I said, 'No ma'am, it's fine. I'm laughing, too. I'm crying and laughing.' Being emotional feels like the right response. I've been thinking a lot about it. Why was I so emotional? Some of it is because I miss my mom, who died in 2019, and she was my favorite human. Every day, I try to be half the person she was. As for me, I went into the Dallas County Juvenile Department in 2008 to visit and later volunteer, and it sent me on a journey. In 2010, I heard somebody say, 'What are you going to do when the kids stab each other in the kitchen?' I would hear people say, 'Those kids don't want to work. They just want to collect a check.' Or, 'Those kids have never been to a nice restaurant. They can't cook your food.' We did 41 pop-up dinners from June 2011 to December 2014 at the best restaurants in Dallas. Our kids pulled off synchronized service at places like FT33. And yet, when we opened, people were shocked to find the food was good. I remember a guy sending me a friend request on Facebook several months after we opened, and he posted a picture of a steak knife down by his calf that he captioned, 'Shiv, just in case. Dining at Cafe Momentum.' I thought, Fuck you! I'm not going to be your friend . So, part of feeling emotional about this is that, for maybe the first time since I started working with kids 17 years ago, the narrative around them is changing. Acknowledgement from the James Beard Foundation is a sign that the country is, at a minimum, open to a new conversation about these young people, and, at a maximum, is ready to acknowledge that these are incredible people who deserve what they've been given. There has also been a conversation about race that has opened up since 2020, which impacts this issue, as well as the ongoing problem of recidivism. I think people believe in an idea that produces results, and your idea has proven itself. I think the community has proven it. Our kids at Cafe Momentum don't leave their neighborhoods. When they come to Cafe Momentum, they're surrounded by people from all over the city, the Metroplex, and the state. For a population of young people who have been marginalized, stereotyped, and labeled for generations in the most egregious ways — to come here and feel loved, supported, included, and wanted might be the most empowering thing that happens in their lives. It's palpable; it's not data on a piece of paper. You watch a young person first working in the dining room, and they're looking down; they don't want to make eye contact. They have zero trust for anyone in the dining room — and they shouldn't. That trust is earned over time. Then, you see them grow. Their back is straight, their chest is up, and they're talking to people at the tables. That is special. I think more than just studying recidivism or data, you're watching it happen, and that's the way it needs to be. Dallas is still segregated in a lot of ways. We were one of the last major Southern cities to desegregate schools, and there are still physical barriers between neighborhoods. It's smart that you created this Downtown, because it isn't too far for them to travel, and it doesn't have a specific identity, unlike the Park Cities. That is part of the conversation that happens at Cafe Momentum's tables. People who live north of Downtown have absolutely no clue what exists south of Downtown. My dad lived with my wife and me for five years, and he was born in 1944 and graduated from a segregated school in Florida. I asked him, 'Hey Dad, how many grocery stores do you think there are south of I-30 in Dallas?' And he said, 'Maybe 100?' There are two. He couldn't believe it. That is part of the learning that happens here. A byproduct of the restaurant is building proximity between communities and a safe space for our kids, which is important as well. I knew that we had to be more than a restaurant. Being just a restaurant was like putting a Band-Aid on a waterfall. What is the future for Cafe Momentum? The idea of expanding Cafe Momentum was first entertained in 2018 or 2019, when we began hosting pop-up dinners around the country. When we launched a national team, I wanted one of our capabilities to be storytelling. I want our kids' voices to be heard, and if they want to speak, we need to give them the platform. So, we built the marketing and communications capability from the get-go, and interestingly enough, that propelled us during the pandemic. We now have these relationships with the NFL, the Players' Coalition, and so forth. Because we couldn't go around the country doing pop-up dinners during COVID, we did them on Zoom with players from Women's Professional Fastpitch softball, the WNBA, Major League Soccer, Major League Lacrosse, the NFL, and more. We would DoorDash our kids' food, and the kids would talk about what they were eating and why, and it would turn into an open conversation. It showed the value of connectivity through storytelling. Coming out of the pandemic, we leaned into it, which is why we've served food at five of the last six Super Bowls. Our kids deserve to be heard, and they deserve a call to action to change the system that has impacted them. Our expansion isn't just building new physical locations; it's also having a conversation around changing the models for juvenile justice in our country. The dream was to have other people copy our model and replicate it, whether that be a juvenile justice department, a restaurant, or whatever. It is working. For the last three years, we've had two to three groups a month come and study our model. What can you share about your new flagship that is being built in Dallas? In Dallas, Cafe Momentum is in a former burger joint that we retrofitted into a program that also runs a restaurant. We've taken our learnings from Dallas and applied them to designs in Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and Denver, so we need to be thoughtful around the design of this place. While we were considering that, Peter Miller from the Meadows Foundation approached us and offered us the land. We have spent months working with architects and designers, thinking through human-centered and trauma-informed design. We were asking, how do we build a space that can welcome people from around the country to steal our model? To me, that's the most effective way of scaling. You are also breaking a streak in Dallas with this award. It will be the first Beard Award the city has won in 31 years, since Dean Fearing won the last one. How do you feel about that? You're joking. Nope, totally serious. I don't know. The word I keep defaulting to is surreal. I feel not worthy. Overwhelmed. I thank the chefs and restaurants that graciously opened their doors to us on a Sunday night, the chefs who came in with their full staffs when their restaurants were closed to work alongside eight young men who were formerly incarcerated to execute a dinner that showed the city what our kids are capable of when allowed to walk in their greatness. I think those chefs own this award. I think over 1,300 children own this award. While I know I'm biased, I don't know that we could have launched this anywhere other than Dallas. The way the city embraced Cafe Momentum is special, so I want to congratulate Dallas as a community. The first award we get in 31 years is one we can own as a city. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Sign up for our newsletter.
Chicago Tribune
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Adrian Houser continues to impress, but the Chicago White Sox stranded 10 baserunners in 2-1 loss
NEW YORK — Catcher Edgar Quero formed a quick bond with Adrian Houser last week. The Chicago White Sox announced the signing of Houser to a one-year deal on May 20. That evening, the right-hander pitched six scoreless innings against the Seattle Mariners. Houser and Quero were paired up and locked in again on Monday, facing the New York Mets at Citi Field. Houser allowed three hits in six-plus scoreless innings against his former team, but the Sox suffered a walk-off 2-1 loss in front of 39,938 on Memorial Day. He struck out six and walked one in the 99-pitch outing. According to Elias Sports Bureau, Houser is the fourth pitcher to throw six-plus scoreless innings in each of his first two starts with the Sox, joining Frank Baumann in 1960, Jack Lamabe in 1966 and Johnny Cueto in 2022. 'I thought we had a good way to use my pitches against them and try to find their weak spots, but obviously stick with my strengths,' Houser said. 'And (Quero) did a good job back there and I think we made adjustments as the day went on and it was good.' Houser left with the Sox leading 1-0, but the Mets tied the score on a sacrifice fly by Juan Soto in the eighth against reliever Cam Booser. Tyrone Taylor began the ninth with a double against Steven Wilson and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Francisco Lindor. Houser served as a bright spot in the loss. Houser spent last season with the Mets, going 1-5 with a 5.84 ERA in 23 appearances (seven starts). He joined the Mets after pitching for the Milwaukee Brewers in parts of seven seasons (2015, 2018-23). Houser pitched for Triple-A Round Rock in the Texas Rangers organization this year before coming to the Sox. His run support on Monday came in the fourth inning. Mike Tauchman led off the inning with a walk. Miguel Vargas followed with a double, the team's first hit, placing runners on second and third. Tauchman then scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by Andrew Benintendi. Houser cruised until the seventh, when he walked Juan Soto leading off the inning. Pete Alonso then singled. The Sox called on lefty Brandon Eisert, who got Starling Marte to hit into a fielder's choice. That gave the Mets runners on the corners. Brett Baty hit a grounder back to the mound and Eisert looked the runner back at third, then threw to first for the second out. After walking Tyrone Taylor to load the bases, Eisert struck out Jeff McNeil looking to keep the Sox ahead 1-0. But the Mets tied it an inning later and won it in the ninth. The Sox were held to four hits, stranded 10 runners on base and went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Manager Will Venable said he likes what he's seen behind the plate from the catching duo of Quero and Matt Thaiss. 'These guys are doing a great job here,' Venable said before Monday's game. 'We've seen a good job from the pitch calling. We've talked about the relationship with the pitchers and catchers, these guys are doing a great job in doing that. 'So the performance catching-wise has been great throughout.' The rookie Quero had one of his most productive days at the plate on Sunday, matching a career-high with three hits — including two doubles. He entered Monday with a .274 batting average and a wRC+ of 100 according to FanGraphs, and hit a double in the fifth inning. Thaiss, who is in his first season with the Sox after parts of six years with the Los Angeles Angels, had a wRC+ of 107 coming into Monday. Catching is a spot where the Sox have organizational depth. Korey Lee went on a rehab assignment on May 9 and is hitting .302 with two home runs and eight RBIs in 11 games with Triple-A Charlotte. He's been working his way back from a left ankle sprain suffered in early April. 'Korey's in a good spot down there,' Venable said. 'He's feeling really good and continues to play well. Happy with everything that he's done this whole year.' Charlotte catcher Kyle Teel, one of the players the Sox acquired from the Boston Red Sox in the Garrett Crochet trade, earned International League Player of the Week honors on Monday after slashing .500/.636/1.188 (8-for-16) with two doubles, three home runs, six walks, six RBIs and seven runs. He had a 1.824 OPS during five games against Round Rock from May 20-25. 'Super excited for Kyle and what he's done,' Venable said. 'He always seems like he's doing well. And to see the good results is awesome, too.' Sox general manager Chris Getz has been impressed by the group's progress. 'We've got a handful of catchers that are playing well,' Getz said Friday at Rate Field. 'Kyle Teel has really shown some progress here recently. We knew at some point we were going to perhaps have, I don't want to say a catching problem but a catching group deserving of more playing time or being at the major-league level. But Korey is doing well, is productive, he's ending the end of his rehab and we'll make a decision on that shortly. 'Edgar has been really solid up here. Matty has been productive as well. Kyle continues to progress. There are so many clubs out there on constant pursuit to fill that position and we've got a handful of options.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Van Wert court hears motion to vacate no-contest murder plea
May 23—VAN WERT — A Celina man who pleaded no contest to murder two months ago is trying to revoke his plea on the basis of actual innocence. It's the latest delay in the murder case against Ryan Houser, 39, who notified his attorney of his desire to revoke the plea minutes before he was to be sentenced on May 7 in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court. A Van Wert County grand jury found probable cause in November 2023 to charge Houser with aggravated murder, an unclassified felony; murder, an unclassified felony; possessing a weapon under disability, a third-degree felony; and tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony, for the September 2023 shooting death of Barbara Ganger. Houser appeared before Judge Martin Burchfield for his 13th court hearing on Thursday, at which time defense counsel Kenneth Rexford formally argued a motion for the court to remove a no-contest plea Houser entered in March on the basis of his client's claim of actual innocence. He had previously been scheduled to go on trial in April. Prosecutor Eva Yarger argued the motion was not submitted in a timely manner and that Houser fully understood the charges against him when he pleaded no contest to a single count of murder. The state dismissed three remaining charges against Houser during a hastily scheduled change of plea hearing in March. Rexford learned of his client's desire to revoke the plea 20 minutes before sentencing was to proceed on May 7. Burchfield took the motion under advisement, with a ruling expected June 24. If the court denies Houser's motion, the Celina man faces a minimum sentence of 15 years to life in prison. If the court accepts, Houser could proceed to trial on all four counts in the original indictment. In earlier proceedings, Rexford said he intended to present evidence that Houser was in or near Rockford at the time of Ganger's death as determined by medical experts for the defense. The Lucas County Coroner's Office established Ganger's date and time of death as 10:43 p.m. Sept. 4, 2023, while a medical expert for the defense places the time of death around 8 a.m. the following day. Rexford followed a similar line of questioning Thursday as he cross-examined Van Wert City Police Detective Lt. Robert Black about the autopsy and timeline investigators used to connect Houser to the death. Yarger raised concerns about the defense relying on a medical expert who asserts nothing was done to determine a time of death, yet was able to establish a different time of death than the coroner. Yarger called Black to the witness stand that morning to refute an allegation in the defense motion stipulating Ganger was last seen at 7:49 p.m. the night of her death. Black testified that a neighbor last saw Ganger enter her apartment at 7 p.m. Cell towers registered a 44-second call to Ganger's phone at 6:56 p.m. — the last time cell towers registered activity from the phone, Black said. The neighbor received a final Facebook message from Ganger at 7:49 p.m., which Black suggested may have been sent by someone else. Security cameras captured Houser running from Ganger's apartment minutes later, according to Black. Black said Houser "spontaneously" turned to his mother while he was being questioned about the murder to inform her Ganger had been shot, but detectives had not informed Houser of the cause of death when he made the statement, he said. Asked by Rexford why neighbors couldn't hear screaming, arguing or gunshots, Black said the small-caliber handgun and concrete walls inside the apartment may have concealed the sound. An autopsy determined Ganger died from gunshot wounds to the eye and heart. Investigators found two firearms during a search of Houser's home following Ganger's death but neither weapon was linked to the death. Houser was on probation in an unrelated case at the time and was not legally allowed to be in the possession of a firearm, according to court records. Featured Local Savings
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Rockstar Games founders named in UK rich list with half-billion dollar net worth
Source: Getty Images Sam and Dan Houser , founders of Rockstar Games , have again made an appearance on The Times influential UK Rich List , ranking the richest people in the nation. In spite of the continued postponement of Grand Theft Auto VI , the brothers' collective net worth has risen to an estimated £400 million (approximately $536 million) presenting the enduring financial prosperity of Rockstar's legendary series such as GTA and Red Dead Redemption. Houser brothers' fortunes increase, making it onto The Times rich list — GTAonlineNews (@GTAonlineNews) The Times released its traditional UK Rich List on Monday, disclosing the 350 richest individuals in the area. The Houser brothers returned to the list, ranking 312th, and sharing that position with other prominent figures such as Sir John Timpson and family, Derek Keys, and film director Matthew Vaughn with Claudia Schiffer. Rockstar's founders continue to be one of the video game industry's few representatives included in this exclusive list. Their total net worth increased by £50 million in under a year, from £350 million ($469 million) last August. It shows Rockstar's enduring profitability even if it didn't have the launch of a new game like GTA VI. The brothers' net worth was placed at about £300 million back in 2020, demonstrating consistent growth driven mostly by royalties and consistent sales from franchise blockbusters. The Housers' net worth is on par with other British stars; for instance, last year they tied with the net value of renowned Formula 1 driver Sir Lewis Hamilton, who ranked 350th on the list. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo Even with Hamilton's recent high-profile switch to Ferrari, his net worth remains below the total net value of the Houser brothers. Gaming royalties and ongoing enterprises Although the brothers are currently living in the United States, their fortune is still connected to the UK. Sam Houser remains president of Rockstar Games, guiding the firm through the creation of GTA VI. Dan Houser, however, departed Rockstar in 2020 and established Absurd Ventures, through which he is working on two new games including an open-world action title. Financial reports show that Houser brothers and ex-Rockstar president Leslie Benzies get about 50% of operating revenues from Rockstar titles. From 2014 to 2019, Take-Two Interactive distributed $2.5 billion in royalties, with GTA V alone bringing over $580 million in 2017. This huge revenue stream is one way to account for the Housers' growing wealth despite no new releases. Sam and Dan Houser's inclusion in The Times Rich List shows the enormous and enduring influence Rockstar Games has had on the world of video games and on British wealth. With GTA VI on the horizon, the net worth of the brothers will keep rising, strengthening them even further as two of the richest entrepreneurs in the UK. Also Read: Red Dead games get surprise price hike amid next-gen patch and GTA 6 pricing rumors Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Houser gets win in return to majors as White Sox beat Mariners 1-0
Houser gets win in return to majors as White Sox beat Mariners 1-0 CHICAGO - Adrian Houser pitched six sparkling innings in his first major league start in a year, and the Chicago White Sox cooled off the Seattle Mariners with a 1-0 victory on Tuesday night. Houser allowed two hits and walked three in his first win since May 26 for the New York Mets against San Francisco. The veteran right-hander threw 90 pitches, 56 for strikes. Advertisement The 32-year-old Houser (1-0) signed a $1.35 million, one-year contract with Chicago earlier in the day. He went 2-2 with a 5.03 ERA in nine games with Triple-A Round Rock before he was released by Texas on Thursday. Chase Meidroth, Joshua Palacios and Lenyn Sosa each had two hits for the last-place White Sox, who had lost five in a row. Seattle dropped to 4-1 on a 10-game trip. The AL West leaders have allowed one run in each of their last five games. The start of the game was delayed for 1 hour, 35 minutes because of rain. There was more precipitation in the final innings. Seattle threatened in the eighth, loading the bases with one out. But Cam Booser escaped the jam by striking out pinch-hitter Mitch Garver and retiring Julio Rodríguez on a flyball to center. Advertisement Rodríguez hit a grand slam off Booser in the eighth inning of the Mariners' 5-1 victory on Monday night in the series opener. Jordan Leasure handled the ninth for his first save of the season. Chicago scored its only run in the third. Meidroth singled, swiped second and scampered home on Palacios' grounder into right field. Miguel Vargas followed with another single off Casey Lawrence (1-2), but Luis Robert Jr. bounced into an inning-ending double play. Key moment Donovan Solano hit a two-out double for Seattle in the ninth. But Leasure fanned Leody Taveras for the final out. Key stat Meidroth is batting .419 (13 for 31) during an eight-game hitting streak. Up next Mariners right-hander Logan Evans (2-1, 2.57 ERA) and White Sox right-hander Shane Smith (1-3, 2.05 ERA) pitch on Wednesday in the series finale.
