From serving seated guests to assisting with back-of-house work, much of Café Momentum’s service was provided by those hired through the restaurant’s paid internship program for justice system-involved youth who wish to learn culinary skills. The positions allow the interns to interact with customers and build relationships and mutual respect with fellow staffers to help them stay out of the juvenile justice system.
“It was a wonderful thing to see, to be a part of,” Bell says. “To have a restaurant that is also geared towards helping at-risk juveniles, and then make them become something in the same setting where you're also providing music and great food — I just thought it was such a dope thing. It kind of sells itself.”
After that night, Bell hoped to cross performing at Café Momentum off of her bucket list — a hope she'd had for nearly two years — and was finally made an official performer last year. Singing for the first time at the monthly charity event, Bell felt like she was finally linking arms with others at Café Momentum to help them make a difference for kids in her community whose needs she could deeply empathize with.
“As a young Black kid, I was raised by a single mother. I know that my life could have been vastly different had my mom not been as disciplined and determined that she was making sure that her kids stayed out of the juvenile system,” Bell says. “But I know a lot of people and family members, and I understand what that struggle looks like as a young Black child. So to be able to see an organization that's not just a juvenile detention facility that's teaching them something, that’s a program that allows them to learn something new that they can use and take with them in their life is very special. If there were no places that did that, where would we be?”
Bell’s respect and passion for the organization were obvious and felt by others at Café Momentum. Once Nadel took a step back from his position as host late last year, Bell was brought on board in January. Café Momentum marketing and events manager Laura Beth Lopez says she and many others have looked to Bell, who's also a host on 91.7 KXT, as a local change maker who is “all about Café Momentum’s mission and more.”
After discussions with Nadel, founder Chad Houser and executive director Margaret Windham, Bell’s love for local youth, her community and the music scene made the choice a no-brainer. Since January, Lopez says she and others at the cafe have found Bell’s hosting to be a perfect and seamless transition from Nadel’s six-year run.
“To have La in that position feels like home,” Lopez says. “She just does a great job of showcasing our youth to the community and bringing in more people from across Dallas. [...] La is definitely a great support for us and our mission in and outside of Sunday Suppers.”
A Super Supper Concert Series
Along with her passion for community, Bell also brings a newer musical expertise to the show. Alhough she has hosted only two Sunday Suppers so far, Bell says she has already found a sense of comfort and familiarity with her fellow musicians in her new role. As a performer herself, Bell hopes to bring out a high energy of community and support from everyone involved in the event. Whether a member of the staff or audience, Bell wants everyone to feel comforted and warm, and be aware of how each of them is a part of something much bigger than the singular event — but a part of community-wide change. The series has recently showcased artists Quentin Moore and Lilly Winwood. Bell wants to inspire performers to work toward change across Dallas, even beyond the Sunday Suppers series. Seeing the work done by Café Momentum, she hopes other artists find a new spark to help their own localities through the power of music, charity and community.
“Coming away from it, I want them to lead the way I left when I came for the first time,” Bell says. “I want them to walk away feeling proud of themselves and of their city. We, as a community, as artists, are able to give back to our community, and there are many ways we can do that together and on our own.”
Bell continues to bring a new sense of musical connection to Sunday Supper performances, but the evening’s mission and format remain the same. Almost every month, the cafe welcomes a new lineup of musicians to take part in the “dinner and a show event.”
The artists are in charge of the onstage work, and cafe interns and staff work on elevating guests’ culinary experience. Café Momentum’s program allows its interns to work and manage parts of a professional kitchen, create flavor profiles for a special menu and even offer some of their own creations as main dishes served during Sunday Suppers. Profits from tickets for the event go right back into funding the cafe and its mission.
Tickets for the March 2024 edition of the Sunday Supper series are already sold out, but tickets for the April 7 event are on sale now, starting at $98. The evening will be highlighted by a live performance from Cecilia Castleman.
More information on the April lineup and future Café Momentum events can be found at cafemomentum.org. The restaurant is located at 1510 Pacific Ave.
