EDWINS JOB FAIR

EDWINS will be hosting a culinary and hospitality job fair this coming September.

You can participate in this event in two ways:

1. If you are a business owner yourself, and looking to hire, please sign up and come to the event. Hopefully we can connect you with applicants.

2. If you are looking for a job, or a career move, you can come and talk to potential employers. We will also be hosting interview and resume work shops.

Want to participate as a business owner? email alumni@edwinsrestaurant.org.

Looking to attend RSVP here

Sign up for Run for Re-Entry for FREE

Every mile moves re-entry forward.

Noone knows this better than you, our alumni. We hope you join us for this fun event as the proceeds benefit EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute, so we  can continue to provide the tuition-free culinary and hospitality education that you all received, along with the wraparound support people need to build lasting careers and successful lives after incarceration

Looking to run or walk? Sign up here

We have a code that allows you to run for free...if you want that code email alumni@edwinsrestaurant.org

Looking to volunteer for the event? Email 

Edwins Masterclass: Biscuits and Rolls

Alumni gathered at the EDWINS Bakery on Tuesday, August 19th for the latest installment of our Elevate Masterclass series, Biscuits and Rolls. Pastry Chef Lexi led the hands-on session, sharing her techniques for achieving flaky biscuits and soft, golden pumpkin rolls. Attendees rolled up their sleeves for an evening of practical baking skills, alumni connection, and, of course. fresh biscuits straight from the oven.

Keep an eye out for the next Elevate Masterclass!

Graduating Class of August 2026

EDWINS celebrated another milestone this month as our August 2026 class crossed the finish line, and did it in style. Their graduation dinner took guests on a culinary tour of Greece, complete with homemade baklava sent home with every attendee.

This class also holds a special distinction: they're the first to experience our new culinary classroom from day one through graduation. And the results speak for themselves; an incredible 95% of graduates left with a job already secured.

Congratulations to this outstanding class. We can't wait to see everything you accomplish next!

Edwins Alumni @ Pre-Season Browns Games

Thanks to a generous ticket donation from the Cleveland Browns, over 25 EDWINS alumni and their families got to enjoy a night out at the stadium this preseason. Alumni cheered on the Browns in matchups against both the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots, making for two great evenings of football, food, and fun.

A big thank you to the Browns for helping make these memories possible for our alumni community! Stay tuned, opportunities like this can pop up last minute, so keep an eye on your inbox for future chances to join in.

 

Are You Looking to Connect with Your Children/Grandchildren Through the Music?

The Beck Center for the Arts is partnering with EDWINS to offer a free to you music enrichment program. The program consists of musical experiences, including singing, listening, instrument play and movement in every session. Children will also have the opportunity to learn about different band and orchestra instruments throughout the year, see, hear, and touch the instruments.  Reach out and let us know if you plan on attending, we're here to help you take that next step.

 

Upcoming Programs

EDWINS JOB FAIR

EDWINS Hospitality & Food Service Job Fair

EDWINS is bringing opportunity straight to our door! We're excited to announce an upcoming Job Fair connecting our alumni with businesses in the hospitality and food service industry.

When: September 26th 9am - 12pm Where: EDWINS

Employers from restaurants, hotels, and food service companies across the area will be on-site to share current openings and meet alumni ready for their next opportunity. In addition to networking with hiring businesses, we'll also be offering onsite interview prep, so you can walk in ready to make a great first impression.

Whether you're looking for your next role, a change of pace, or just want to see what's out there, this is a great chance to connect directly with employers who value what EDWINS training brings to the table.

More details, including the exact date and time, will be shared soon. Stay tuned — we hope to see you there!

Labor Day Parade 

Are you the best of EDWINS? Come connect with the community while we showcase our very best! 

Date: Monday, September 7, 2026 

Arrival Time: 8 am sharp 

Location: EDWINS Bakery (13104 Buckeye Rd, Cleveland, OH 44120) 

See Greg to sign up!  OR   Email alumni@edwinsrestaurant.org 

FOOD FIGHT!

Stay tuned as the we will be scheduling the next food fight in the coming weeks!

More details coming soon but if you want to compete, please email Greg at alumni@edwinsrestaurant.org. This will be open to watch to other alumni and the public, and if successful may become a series. We hope you help make it a success.

Ongoing Programs

Life Skills Seminars

Stay tuned for life skill seminars ranging from mental health and financial health to small business planning and development.

These will be offered in person and via Zoom!

Swim Class

If you don't know how to swim, we have people that want to help you learn. Please email alumni@edwinsrestaurant.org and let us know if you want to learn how to swim.

EDWINS Alum Keith Rowan is excited to offer a new opportunity to help anyone get their new green business off the ground.  Called Sowing the Sees of Tomorrow, this nonprofit urban farm and green business incubator empowers veterans and justice-impacted citizens to grown their own futures.

If you would like to learn more go to stsot.netlify.app and check it out.

Songyard Farms LLC is looking for folks who are curious about agriculture as a potential job opportunity, we welcome volunteers for this purpose!  As a volunteers choose if they prefer to explore animal husbandry or gardening with herbs, veggies and or flowers.

If interested check out their website here.

1. Can you walk us through what you're doing now professionally, and how the skills you learned at EDWINS have directly contributed to your success?

I am now a case manager, mentor, and violence interrupter. I mentor at-risk youth and adults for the Lorain County Urban League, it's been three years this December. Customer service skills help me communicate with my mentees and the different clients I serve through the urban expungement program.

The fast pace of the restaurant, cooking behind the line, and working toward excellence allowed me to build skills I now use to serve my clients just as well. Attention to detail matters in both the hospitality world and the world I'm in now, and being able to spot potential issues before they happen is a huge part of that. Having a "recipe", whether for food or for helping a mentee, is a transferable skill.

2. What has surprised you most about your journey since graduating from EDWINS - either challenges you didn't expect or opportunities that exceeded your expectations?

 

Being able to work with youth sooner than I forecasted. I was able to work with youth two years after EDWINS, even before I was off parole. Having people support me on this journey, from the President and CEO to my colleagues, meant a lot. Also, building rapport with local law enforcement is something that definitely surprised me.

I also received an award for advocacy from the African American Fund, which was a huge surprise and honor.

3. How has your involvement with EDWINS impacted not just your career, but your personal life and relationships with family and community?

 

With community, it's pretty obvious, but having my mother be proud of my accomplishments means a lot too. Starting off with graduating from EDWINS, and then being able to use that skill set to cook for family and share what I know, really brings family together.

 

4. What are your goals and dreams for the next few years, and how do you see yourself continuing to grow both personally and professionally?

 

Initially, I look to continue doing what I am doing right now and hopefully move into a managerial position, continuing to serve Lorain County either in my current position, or maybe through my own nonprofit.

Longer term, I am looking to start a for-profit in the service industry, one that still focuses on mentoring and family while building transferable skills. Going into consultancy would be the ultimate goal, and a way to give back.

 

5. Do you have any business or work you'd like to highlight? What is it? Do you want to say anything to other alumni, current students, or prospective students who may be reading this?

 

Just be ready, you never know when your opportunity is going to come, since you never know who's in a space or in a room, and when you are going to be called upon.

Gratitude and appreciation to EDWINS for giving me the opportunity to live a free life with a skill set that I can always fall back on.

If there is anybody in Lorain County struggling, you can reach out to me at watwood@lcul.org.

Fruit Granita

 

 - 4 cups finely chopped fruit of your choice (like watermelon, peaches, strawberries, mixed berries, or oranges)

 

- 1 cup water (or combination of water and juice, see note)

 

- 1/3 cup cane sugar

 

- Sliced fruit, for garnish (optional)

 

Steps

 

Blend and freeze. Combine the fruit, water, and sugar into a blender or food processor and blend 30 seconds until smooth. Taste and adjust the sweetness to your liking. Pour the mixture into a rimmed sheet pan or baking dish that’s at least 8X12–inches. Place in the freezer for one hour.

 

Scrape. After an hour, use a metal fork like a rake, scraping through the mixture to break up the ice. Return to the freezer for another 30 minutes to an hour.

 

Repeat. Continue scraping with a fork through the mixture every 30 minutes to an hour until it is fully frozen and the granita has a fluffy granulated texture. This should take about 2 hours in total if you have a large sheet tray, or longer if you’re using a smaller baking dish.

 

Serve or store. Scrape into a pile and scoop into chilled serving glasses to serve immediately, or scrape into an airtight container and return to the freezer until you’re ready to serve.

 

 

Steve Weiss, ACC

Catalis Leadership / Resurgence Leadership

Atul Gawande was one of the best surgeons in America when he noticed his results had stopped improving. So he asked a retired surgeon he admired to stand in his operating room and watch him work. One operation later, the older surgeon handed him a full page of small fixes Gawande had never noticed, on an operation he thought had gone perfectly. His results improved within months. He didn't get better by working harder. He got better by letting someone tell him the truth about his work.

Here's what it is. A short, honest look at five things that decide whether someone runs a kitchen well or just survives it: decision-making, communication and active listening, team dynamics, emotional intelligence, and resilience. You answer for yourself. No manager grading you, no trick questions. Just a clear read on where you're strong and where there's room to grow.

We are exploring the idea of having Alumni made products at the Edwins Butcher Shop.

If you have a product you'd like to sell...herbal blends, sauces, packaged items, etc. we would love to share them with the world. We will also have a spot to host your business cards for highlighting your small businesses.

Email Greg at alumni@edwinsrestaurant.org with your products and to get information on next steps.

If you put EDWINS in your profile under the education section you will automatically show up as an alumni on the EDWINS LinkedIn page.