All Square may seem like a trendy grilled cheese restaurant, but this eatery distinguishes itself from competitors by offering employment to those who are often shut out. Founded by Emily Turner, All Square incorporates her past as a U.S. Housing and Urban Development attorney by only hiring and training former convicts. Turner, who worked on prisoner reentry, started the restaurant in an attempt to find a solution for former inmates and even runs the establishment as a nonprofit to better support these individuals.
This focus on employing former inmates even extends to the restaurant's board, which includes a CEO who was a five-time felon, a community organizer born in prison and later served time, as well as a businessman wrongly imprisoned. Turner worked closely with this board when developing All Square and its 13-month training and rehabilitation program.
Convict-Hiring Restaurants
All Square Uses Food to Rehabilitate Former Inmates and Provide Jobs
Trend Themes
1. Convict Rehabilitation Programs - Opportunity to create more restaurants and businesses that provide employment and support to former convicts, helping them reintegrate into society.
2. Socially Conscious Hiring - Potential for businesses in various industries to prioritize hiring individuals who face significant barriers to employment, such as former inmates.
3. Nonprofit Business Models - Emerging trend of establishing businesses as nonprofits to better support and advocate for specific social causes or marginalized groups.
Industry Implications
1. Food Service Industry - Disruptive innovation opportunity for restaurants and food service businesses to implement convict-hiring programs, creating social impact while providing quality products and services.
2. Human Resources Industry - Potential for HR professionals and organizations to develop specialized programs and strategies for hiring, training, and supporting individuals with criminal backgrounds.
3. Social Impact and Nonprofit Sector - Opportunity for the nonprofit sector to explore new approaches in supporting marginalized individuals through innovative business models and employment initiatives.