Businesses

Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Region operates several service-oriented businesses that employ program graduates or have become a gateway to employment for many that needed a second chance. Revenue from these businesses provide much needed funding for Goodwill’s job training and placement programs for people with barriers to employment. Hire a Goodwill business and you support job training and education for people in your community.

Neighborhood Bistro Cafe 

Open to the public, the Cafe serves as the training facility for our Culinary Skills Training Program. The program is designed to train-while-you-work to prepare students for entry into the food service industry as pantry cooks, line cooks, pastry chef assistants, cashier/register/hostess’s, catering supports and back end of the house help.

The Neighborhood Bistro is located at the Milgard Work Opportunity Center (3rd floor) 714 S 27th St, Tacoma.

Hours are Monday – Thursday, 11am-1pm.

The Bistro offers a full range of sandwiches, salads, burgers, soups and a daily special – all prepared by the students under the guidance of a professional chef.

Goodwill’s Coffee Buzz

The Buzz serves as the training ground for Goodwill’s Youth Barista program. They are full service cafes, complete with an array of coffee, tea and smoothie beverages (we proudly serve Starbucks coffee and teas), along with sandwiches and pastries from the Neighborhood Bistro. The main training center and café is housed on the first floor of Goodwill’s Milgard Work Opportunity Center. The second training center and Cafe is located in the Hilltop Regional Health Center.

Success story: Anita Davis (Culinary Program)- Anita Davis is a single mother raising a grandson with special needs. Seven years ago her life turned upside down when she was diagnosed with a vocal disorder and could no longer work as a receptionist, a job she loved… “So I thought, what could I do where I didn’t have to use my voice […]