Retreat continues To Give Representation To Purveyors Of Color
By Tia Carol Jones
For so long, there was a lack of representation across the culinary industry. With Theaster Gates’ commitment to uplifting Black and Brown entrepreneurs in the arts across the board, it has been very important for him to create, make and activate space, especially at the Retreat Currency Café.
The latest activation at Retreat Currency Café includes Chef Jazer Syed of Collective Ventures and Pour Souls. Retreat was already outfitted with a bar and a kitchen. Since it opened the Retreat was meant to be a place where chefs could do residencies. It is a place where patrons could get coffee, tea, food or cocktails, to uplift people in the hospitality industry and enabling them to grow their business.
Those in residence have the opportunity to collaborate with other residents. The aim is to give people who live on the South Side access to quality food and beverage.
“At the Retreat, we are consistently looking for culinary artists and entrepreneurs who are passionate about their craft, dedicated to experimentation and excited by collaboration. Each resident was selected after partnering with the Rebuild Foundation on a number of programs and demonstrating a strong connection to or rapport with our community. We are thrilled to work with innovators in the culinary and hospitality industries to provide diverse offerings for our patrons.” said Baredu Ahmed of the Rebuild Foundation.
Chef Jazer Syed has 10 years of culinary experience and cultural knowledge. His knowledge comes from growing up with parents for different nationalities, the Filipino food and Indian food that has been instilled in him. His culinary experience covers the French technique, French Canadian food, Macanese, Japanese food from all the chefs who taught him throughout his career.
Syed liked what Rebuild was doing, bringing in artists and professionals and giving them opportunities. He is a big proponent of giving people of color a voice and supporting equity.
“Someone giving me a chance to use my voice and spread my food and show what I’ve been working on, how can I not get behind that. It sounds like a dream come true,” Syed said.
Syed is ready to show his skills and his food to the people of Washington Park and Hyde Park with the collaboration at the Retreat Currency Exchange Café.
Pour Souls Chicago was founded in 2011 and will curate the beverage program at Retreat on Thursdays and at the Stony Island Arts Bank on Sundays. Founder Tim Williams is ready to come in and complement great food offerings and the Thursday night happy hour. The goal is not to be the focal point but to be an equal piece of something that is great but that doesn’t exist anywhere else.
“There’s something cool about creating spaces where we, not just as the service provider and purveyor, but also as a customer. There’s something about building spaces for us that are particularly calming and super exciting for me,” Williams said.
Williams is also looking forward to being around the crowd Gates and the people at the Rebuild naturally and inherently attract. He wants to meet people where they are, and be an additional element to a really great spot.
“We get to see a nice mixture of people that is to me more natural and more real and more indicative of the city as a whole. Creativity comes much more naturally and much more easily when you’re in an environment where you’re just more comfortable, where your guest are comfortable, when the space is comfortable, everything just jives and vibes better,” he said.
The Retreat is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday and 5 to 8 p.m. Thursdays for Happy Hour.
