Young chefs staff Cedar Rapids' Cafe 361

Cedar Rapids' newest restaurant is definitely an original. At Café 361, meals are served buffet style, the menu doesn't include prices and the eatery is only open every other Wednesday evening.

Heather Woodin, director of children, youth and family ministries for Cedar Rapids' First Congregational-United Church of Christ, 361 17th St. SE, helped start the eatery with a group of middle school-aged girls in August. She met some of the students during the summer when the Boys & Girls Club of Cedar Rapids had a group meet at the church.

“We got to know each other and I like them,” Woodin said, laughing.

When the summer ended, she and the young women brainstormed ways to continue hanging out together during the school year. And Café 361, named for the church's street address, was born.

“Cooking is a good way to get kids and others to open up and have a conversation,” Woodin said. “I knew that would be a good venue for connecting with the girls.”

Two Wednesdays each month, when schools release students early for staff learning, 10 to 12 young women gather in the church's kitchen – which Woodin, a cooking aficionado, described as “fabulous” – and transform the space into Café 361. That means the tables get tablecloths, place settings and centerpieces and the room fills with the aromas of whatever culinary delights fit into the evening's theme.

And then there's the soundtrack. The sounds of soprano serenades carry over from the kitchen into the dining area, interrupted only by giggles, chatter and the occasional beeping timer.

As much fun as 13-year-old Abbigail Laughridge has in the preparation process, which she said includes dancing, that's not the highlight.

“The best thing is eating,” said the eighth-grader, who listed a kabob the group served at a Hawaiian-themed meal in September as her favorite dish. “I really don't like kabobs but I tried it and I liked it. I try a lot of things now.”

Following a 5 p.m. prayer – Woodin described the group as “faith based” but none of the participants are members of the church – the young women begin getting ready to welcome the community guests who will dine with them that evening. The girls – 16 have taken part in the group so far and Woodin said she's open to having more – introduce themselves and the meal to their customers, and then serve the food. The girls are also encouraged to sit with the public and interact with them while they eat.

The staff, which includes Woodin and volunteers from the congregation as well as Tessa Romanski with the Iowa State Extension in Linn County, help the ladies learn to be good hostesses and chefs.

“It is about so much more than (food),” Woodin said. “I truly believe with all my heart that we are giving them skills and experiences that they will use later.”

Some of the young women are putting their newly earned knowledge to use now. Mahogony Jackson, 13, didn't cook a lot before her friend Laughridge encouraged her to become part of the Café 361 group. Now she spends more time in the kitchen at home, in part because her mom knows that Jackson has those talents.

“My mom keeps telling me to make the chicken enchilada thing we made,” she said.

Beyond learning how important it is to read recipes carefully – a lesson she learned the hard way when she and a fellow baker forgot to add flour into a batch of pumpkin bars – Jackson said she's enjoyed making new friends as part of the group. Through cooking together, she's built some interpersonal skills as well.

“You have to compromise so you don't anger anyone, to keep the peace” she said. “We do a good job. No one's been mean or anything.”

The group runs at no charge to the participants and it takes about $200 for the group to serve each meal, Woodin said. The suggested donation for each guest is $3, but sizable gifts and church funds have helped make Café 361 possible, Woodin said, and she's hopeful that a grant comes through to move the program toward her goal of being self-sufficient.

The women held their fifth official event on Nov. 6 and they've begun breaking even financially. Laughridge and Jackson would like to see the popularity continue to grow but Woodin notes that, in their current iteration, the group can only serve 50 guests each Wednesday.

As Café 361's pockets get deeper, the women want to use whatever funds they save throughout the year for a trip over the summer. Laughridge and Jackson named Adventureland as a top destination, but Woodin said she's aiming for Minneapolis, Omaha or Chicago. She'd like to have the young ladies do some community service, perhaps putting their kitchen talents to work at a soup kitchen, and tour a culinary school.

“I want to plant the seed that if you like this, there are jobs out there where you can use these skills,” Woodin said.

Café 361 will remain open as long as the staff members are engaged and willing to work, Woodin said. After taking a break for the holidays, Woodin plans to include more community involvement in the form of having restaurant owners and female entrepreneurs visit each session to inspire the middle-schoolers.

“We're trying to increase their confidence (and) build self-esteem,” Woodin said. “They're already strong teenagers. We want to build them into strong women.”