Delancey Street is serving hope in Solano

August 21, 2024

Cooks prepare food for the restaurant at CSP-Solano.

For 40 years, the Delancey Street Foundation has helped reentry efforts and now they are doing the same inside California State Prison, Solano.

Watch the video by Clarissa Resultant, CDCR staff photographer/TV specialist (story continues below):

The foundation is known for its San Francisco restaurant, training and employing formerly incarcerated people. Through the Delancey Street Restaurant program, they now offer currently incarcerated people the chance to learn skills to prepare them for work in the food service industry.

On a recent summer afternoon, the restaurant inside the prison opened its doors with special guests including Governor Gavin Newsom and former Governor Edmond Gerald “Jerry” Brown, Jr.

Group photo of Governor and prison staff at Delancey Street Restaurant at California State Prison, Solano. — Governor Gavin Newsom and former Governor Brown with staff at Delancey Street Restaurant at CSP-Solano.

“Today is special because it is the grand opening,” said Tobias Gomez, the restaurant manager. “We’ve been training for this event for (over) two years now. We spent six months with no equipment (or) food. We basically (learned and practiced) food safety out of a book.”

They worked on mock displays, pretending to cook food to get the hang of how to use the utensils and pans.

“After we finally got our trucks delivered, and we were able to practice making one item at a time,” he said.

Nearby, Jose Marin works the prep station as the kitchen buzzes with activity.

“I’m making pickle chips. They are really delicious,” he explains. “I didn’t know that you can put these two things together.”

Creating a community through cooking

Four incarcerated people in a restaurant kitchen. — Restaurant builds confidence while they learn employable skills.

An incarcerated person serves a meal to a restaurant patron at Solano prison in Vacaville. — Restaurant builds confidence while they learn employable skills.

According to Gomez, Delancey Street participants came into the program feeling they were missing something. Cooking helped fill the void.

“Prior to (the program), they didn’t really have experience of feeling like they belong to a community,” Gomez said.

When they started working in the restaurant, interacting with and serving food to staff, they found their community.

“I’ve really seen firsthand (how) these guys have a sense of purpose now in their lives. They wake up every day looking forward to coming to work,” he explained.

Phillip White, one of the cooks, said the restaurant is helping his rehabilitation efforts.

“This program is life changing for an individual like myself, who really never had any type of structure in my life,” White said. “It allowed me to get balance.”

While the restaurant serves Solano staff, the participants sometimes feed others.

“Over time, I think we’ve won their business. It’s such a cool thing when I hear somebody’s coming on Friday because they want to buy food to take home to their family,” Gomez said.

Cooking up rehabilitation while building self-confidence

Two men work on a sauce. — Learning teamwork.

A man waits a table at the restaurant. — Learning teamwork.

Ronald Russell, one of the chef managers, said he was at a loss in the kitchen before joining the program.

“When I came in the kitchen, I didn’t even know how to cook. But now I can make a whole Mexican special, including enchilada, beans, and rice,” Russell said. “I do it from scratch and I know it by heart now.”

Dustin Miller, another chef manager, handles expediting and point-of-sale.

“I interact with the customers (and) maintain the main dishes. One of our models here is ‘each one, teach one.’ So, once we learn it, we’re passing knowledge on to the next man,” Miller explained. “We’ve mastered every position. Delancey Street has helped me through debate, public speaking, interpersonal relationships, constructive criticism, all these things have helped me grow as a person. It’s made me came out of (my) shell and has brought me to the position that I am now.”

Solano Delancey Street Restaurant: Diverse in participants, cuisine

The restaurant entrance. — Delancey Street Restaurant at Solano.

Restaurant with variety of people sitting at tables eating a meal. — Delancey Street Restaurant at Solano.

Delancey Street is diverse, with participants coming from various backgrounds and cultures.

“We have people from every different type of background you can think of and they’re all back there working together, trying to get things done for these people to come in and have a great experience,” Gomez said. “(We’re) figuring out how to do deliveries inside the prison, working with the administration.”

Mimi Silbert, co-founder, president and CEO of the Delancey Street Foundation, was on hand for the grand opening. She credited prison leadership with getting the project up and running.

Gomez agreed the prison leadership has been very open to make the project a success.

“For me it’s very rewarding,” said Gomez. “It’s hardly work to come in here. I just try to help out, instill the same morals, values and now the vocation skills that come with the restaurant.”

Learn more about the Delancey Street Foundation on their website.

Story by Don Chaddock, Inside CDCR editor
and Clarissa Resultan, CDCR staff photographer and TV specialist
Office of Public and Employee Communications