E ating out is a largely self-serving exercise: You pick a place, order what pleases, imbibe a bit, soak up time with a dining companion, and go on your merry way. Instead, Cafe Momentum Atlanta , which opened downtown in March, puts investing in Atlanta’s youth at the forefront of dining out, while also delivering a memorable meal.

The Atlanta outpost is the nonprofit organization’s third, following ones in Dallas and Pittsburgh. Founded in 2015 by Dallas-based chef Chad Houser, its mission is to transform the lives of teens in the juvenile justice system with life skills, employment opportunities, and education. I visited the Dallas location several years ago and eagerly anticipated the opening in my hometown.

The cafe’s motto, emblazoned in big letters on the dining room wall, is “

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