For the uninitiated, FareStart is part restaurant, part training ground, and part nonprofit that affords a path out of poverty for homeless and disadvantaged persons by offering life skills, job training, and employment. Its flagship restaurant has been featured on TV shows like Bizarre Foods America and even won a James Beard Humanitarian of the Year Award.
Thanks to a recent partnership with Amazon, FareStart opened five new eateries in South Lake Union this summer: Community Table (which houses BBQ, Bowls, and Salads), Rise, and Maslow’s. Aside from a $1 million revenue matching donation, the tech company is providing 25,000 square feet of space for the expansion (which includes a catering space, and training classrooms). All these restaurants are housed in Amazon’s Houdini North building. Community Table is a fast-casual grouping of restaurants that features three different eateries specializing in salads, bowls, and barbecue. Rise is a coffee shop offering bagel and croissant sandwiches and other breakfast items, handcrafted coffees, and even a rotating variety of draft kombucha and cold brew. Maslow’s is a full-service restaurant (the only one of the three open for dinner and on weekends) featuring small and large dishes of classic American cuisine.