Emma's Torch Cafe — Carroll Gardens

Emma’s Torch is a non-profit social enterprise that trains and empowers refugees in the culinary arts. By investing in our refugees’ potential, we prepare our students for successful employment in an industry in which their culinary heritage can be celebrated. Emma’s Torch is named for Emma Lazarus, poet of the Statue of Liberty and a staunch advocate for refugee rights.

We offer two programs: a culinary and an ESL program. Students can participate in one or both.

Refugees in our 100-hour culinary program:
• Receive technical culinary training and licensing
• Get individual attention since each cohort is comprised of two students and one instructor
• Gain work experience at the Emma’s Torch Classroom Café
• Apply and land jobs in the culinary industry
• Are connected with a welcoming, supportive community as they adjust to life in the U.S.

Refugees in our ESL program:
• Learn English tailored to the culinary industry
• Practice with a small cohort of ten students
• Are connected with a welcoming, supportive community as they adjust to life in the U.S.

We also collaborate with some of New York’s most renowned chefs, industry leaders, and restaurant groups to facilitate employment opportunities for our students after graduation.