By Regina Kenner
I am most successful when I have a deadline.
Deadlines make me accountable. Measurable goals keep me on track.
This explains the absence of this article for the past 6 months. No deadline, no goal, no excuses. I am committing to do better.
Flavors of Fredericksburg has been the conduit for meeting the nicest, most interesting people. One such person, is Tommy Abbott. Tommy has worked as a manager and chef at several establishments in the city. We sat down a while back for cup of coffee and he told me about his vision for a project that would foster motivated individuals toward building a career in hospitality and food service.
As a very young man, Tommy was headed down a destructive path. The consequences of his actions left him with one decision: keep on the same path or take a healthier route. Fortunately for the gastronomic culture of Fredericksburg, he chose the latter.
When he asked me to review and fine-tune his press release for Corner Café FXBG, I was honored to do so as I gain tremendous pleasure from watching anyone realize their dreams.
The satisfaction of achieving a goal, meeting deadlines and relishing that feeling of accomplishment, is like nothing else. Tommy gets it, so do I.
The restaurant formally known as The General Store will reopen this summer as a café oriented toward building a local, community supportive business. Tommy Abbott, a chef and community activist, will revamp the current location into Corner Café FXBG. The café will offer a small chalkboard special breakfast from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Chef Abbott plans to support local agriculture through direct farm relationships and Community Supported Agriculture to provide heart healthy, locally sourced ingredients for sandwiches, salads and flatbread pizzas. The café will offer full service seating as well as a comfortable lounge area for students and business professionals to meet, study or just enjoy a nice cup of coffee together.
Corner Café FXBG will also serve as the base for Chef Abbott’s program, Project F.O.R.C.E.; Fostering Occupational Readiness through Community Enterprise. He created this non-profit program a year ago to train individuals in need of assistance in entering or re-entering the work force. The program will offer a 6-month paid internship, which will include hands-on training in both food preparation as well as hospitality services. Each program participant will learn the skills and practices necessary to earn a “SERV Safe” certificate in food safety and sanitation upon successful completion of the internship. The main objective of Project F.O.R.C.E. is to create a stable learning environment, primarily for those exiting shelters, treatment centers or correctional institutions, however, the application process is open to all interested individuals.
For more information, contact Chef Abbott at: [email protected] or through the website, www.cornercafefxbg.com
“I am by no means a food critic. My palate is not adventurous. I simply savor the pleasures derived from sharing a meal that brings me together with others.” -Regina Kenner
Regina is a long-time resident of the Fredericksburg area and the founder of Flavors of Fredericksburg, A Food Tour, Garnished with History.
