The Village Café

"A Social Enterprise of Marrakech, Inc."

The Village Café, located at 520 Whalley Avenue in New Haven, CT, is a fully functioning café and catering business, which also serves as a food service training program for consumers of Marrakech. The Food Service Training program is a transitional program that teaches basic food service skills to individuals with a stated desire to work in the food service industry. Staff members work with trainees to maximize independence.

The goal of the program is to foster a successful transition to competitive placement in the industry. Participants typically will work in this transitional setting for three to six months. Time may vary as warranted by individual training needs and support plans. Typical schedule consists of 12 hours of paid training each week. Some of the areas covered by the training program include: Safety and Health, Personal Hygiene, Proper Food handling and Storage, Safe and Proper Use of Equipment, Cash Register Training, Cleaning, Proper Knife Skills and Kitchen Communication. Employment Specialists complete weekly reports on all trainees.

The Café is open to the public for breakfast and lunch, Monday – Friday from 7:00A.M. to 3:00 P.M. and provides free internet access for its customers. Catering of events is available seven days per week, day or evening.

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Eligibility - The Food Service Training Program requires a referral by a sponsoring agency that has approved the training as appropriate and is able to support the tuition cost. Those who are selected for the Food Service Training must have the ability to learn and carry out basic food service tasks such as taking orders accurately, communicating accurately, serve customers with alacrity, and perform the core functions in the industry such as waiting tables, serving customers, preparing food and cleaning according to established industry guidelines.

Contact Information:

Gerry Zarra
Vice President of Workforce Development Services
Phone: (203) 389-2970, ext. 1303
Fax: (203) 389-3927
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Michael Jackson
Café Business Manager
Phone: (203) 389-1102
Fax: (203) 389-1017
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Mailing Address:
Marrakech, Inc. Six Lunar Drive
Woodbridge, CT 06525
Main Phone: (203) 389-2970
Main Fax: (203) 397-0658