CLEVELAND — When it comes to his restaurants, Brandon Chrostowski's tastebuds are always on point.
He's the owner and chef at EDWINS Leadership and Restaurant Institute, where you can get both mouthwatering bites and excellent service. But what Chrostowski is most passionate about is helping people get back on their feet.
"I'll never forget, there was a young lady who gave birth to her child in prison, you know, and she had a drug addiction. She comes out and overcomes that addiction, gets the job, you know, flourishes, gets her kid back," he said.
That's just one of the countless success stories to come out of EDWINS, where the formerly incarcerated get opportunities to flourish in the hospitality business.
Now, EDWINS is offering something bigger: A six-week accelerator course for aspiring business owners called Pathway to Ownership.
"The city at large has the invitation and what we wanna see is that person who's traditionally not had the opportunity. Or hasn't had that rigorous education and a bachelor's degree," Chrostowski said.
Any applicant is welcome to apply to follow their dreams.
"We went out and raised money from the Cleveland Foundation to be able to lend money to anyone who wants to get that idea off the ground, up to $150,000," he said.
EDWINS is also partnering with the Cleveland Browns. Chief Communications Officer Peter John Baptiste says it's the kind of initiative that inspires the team.
"We really want our players to understand the power they have and the platform they have to create a difference in this community," Baptiste said. "We want these people who have dreams of restaurant ownership to invest in themselves and really determine the best plan to make that happen."
Chrostowski says the aspiring restaurant owners have nothing to lose.
"You gotta shoot your shot. I mean, all I can say is that, to those of you out there who feel, you know, what am I doing this for? What am I doing with my life? I mean, understand, you're doing it for yourself. You're doing it for your family. You're doing it for a larger community here in Cleveland and beyond, to show that it's possible. "
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