COLUSA, CA (MPG) — A Colusa Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting on Dec. 10 marked the return of the former Crave Cafe, now rebranded as New Leaf Cafe at 621 Market St., where manager Jamie McMullan said the nonprofit will pair restaurant service with job training and community meal programs.
“It’s nonprofit, essentially,” McMullan said. “We wanted to be more able to help the community.”
McMullan said the shift allows the organization to train people for work in food service through an apprenticeship-style program with defined steps.
“We’ll have a program that will have different levels that you can graduate through, different portions of that include meal prep, sanitation, customer service and things like that,” she said.
McMullan added that the organization also prepares senior nutrition meals five days a week, with distribution currently operating through Williams Community Church.
“We partnered with the senior nutrition program to provide meals to seniors,” McMullan said. “We prep all of the food here in our kitchen.”
McMullan said New Leaf plans to add a Colusa site for senior meal distribution.
“We do have plans of opening something here in Colusa soon,” she said.
McMullan said the cafe plans to launch a medically tailored meals program in January, with enrollment requiring a doctor referral. She said the program will start by serving people with diabetes, heart disease and renal issues.
McMullan said that they would provide two meals a day to each of the patients.
At the cafe, McMullan said equipment upgrades expanded what the kitchen can offer, including a return to a full breakfast menu.
“I’m so glad we’re able to have a full breakfast,” she said.
The breakfast menu includes the ColUSA Breakfast Platter, served with two eggs, potatoes, bacon or sausage, and toast. New Leaf also offers pancakes, French toast, waffles, omelets and breakfast burritos.
Lunch options include build-your-own sandwiches and a range of classics, including egg salad, chicken salad and tuna salad sandwiches. The menu also includes soup and salads, BLTs, grilled cheese, turkey bacon avocado sandwiches, burgers, patty melts and chicken strips.
New Leaf’s hours are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. McMullan said the cafe plans to add Saturdays starting in January.