In New Orleans, our economy is heavily weighted towards restaurants, bars and music venues. Those businesses are also at the heart of our culture, but while people of color make up a majority of our population, there is nevertheless an inequitable distribution of opportunities for black and brown youth.
Turning Tables NOLA aims to change that. The organization, founded by Touré Folkes, offers an intensive, 12-week training externship to young brown and black hospitality professionals, with both classroom education and on-site training as well as mentorship, support and encouragement.
Students learn about mixology and wine, restaurant and bar management, brand marketing and how to confidently use the knowledge they gain. Through partnerships with restaurant, hotel and beverage industry leaders, Turning Tables has developed a network of support for folks looking to start a career.
Reading the biographies of externs on the organization’s website, one can’t help but notice two things they have in common: the sense that being in the hospitality industry is a calling, and gratitude to Turning Tables for giving them opportunities they might otherwise not have received.
Turning Tables NOLA is intent on changing the structure of the economic system underlying the hospitality industry, not only by giving young people the knowledge they need to thrive, but perhaps more importantly the access that people who look like them don’t ordinarily have. This is vital work that benefits the entire city.
