SPOKANE, Wash. - KREM 2 first brought you the story of Fresh Soul in September when it was still under construction. The restaurant would help Spokane's at risk teenagers, giving them both life and job experience at a young age.
On Thursday, KREM 2 was there as the restaurant opened its doors to the community for the very first time.
Now just a few days following the opening we are introducing you to the people who were most excited for this opening and they are not the customers.
Edee Morse is just 14 years old, and she is a hostess and server at Fresh Soul.
"I take drinks to people, I ask them how they're doing and you know occasionally I will wash dishes," Morse said.
Morse heard about the job opening through Spokane Eastside Reunion Association – otherwise known as SERA – a mentoring and tutoring program lead by organizers grounded in faith.
To her, the job is any teenager's dream.
"We don't just learn the basics to food working," she said. "I also learned a lot about like biblical studies and God and that's another big part of it."
Morse's boss Michael C. Brown, who owns Fresh Soul and founded SERA, is excited about what this program will do for youth in the community.
"Through the job training at Fresh Soul, youth are going to gain the skills necessary that are going to change their trajectory from poverty, to a lifelong career through education and economic opportunities," Brown said.
"I mean if I didn't have a job, I would just be sitting at home watching YouTube, eating chips, something like that," said Morse.
The restaurant has been packed from open to close since its opening day.
"We're still getting the hang of stuff but we've got a smooth rhythm going on," Morse said.
Morse said she and her coworkers look forward to their jobs every day.
"You can just see it in like their expressions, you know they always get really happy when they walk through the doors," Morse said.
"It's community. It's not a Michael thing, it's not a SERA thing…it's a God thing," Brown said. "With love, everything is possible."