Worcester Cafe Awarded $200K For Job Training Program

WORCESTER, MA — Café Reyes in Worcester will expand its workforce training efforts with help from a new state grant.

The Latin American Health Alliance will receive $200,000 through the state's Community Workforce Partnerships program to provide Worcester residents facing employment barriers with paid, hands-on training in food preparation, customer service, point-of-sale systems, administration and workplace professionalism, Gov. Maura Healey announced Friday.

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The Worcester award is part of $6 million in grants supporting 34 projects across 17 Massachusetts communities. The one-year operating grants are intended to help residents gain job skills, earn industry credentials and pursue employment, higher wages or small business opportunities while addressing barriers including child care, transportation and housing instability.

"We're focused on making Massachusetts the best place to start and grow a business, create jobs and build a career," Healey said. "These $6 million in grants will help businesses find the skilled workers they need to grow while giving more residents the tools to start their own businesses, access new opportunities and get ahead."

Café Reyes, a mission-based restaurant and catering operation, serves Cuban and Latin American food while providing paid work experience and job training for residents and graduates of Hector Reyes House, a bilingual and bicultural residential treatment program for Latino men in recovery.

The new operating grant follows a $250,000 fiscal 2027 Social Enterprise Capital Grant awarded to the Latin American Health Alliance earlier this year. That funding will support renovations and equipment upgrades at Café Reyes, including kitchen modernization and improvements intended to expand production capacity and training space.

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