Our Mission:

Teaching life skills through culinary arts, while also exposing learners to the endless opportunities in the food and beverage industry.

Welcome to the Transition Kitchen Foundation!

Taste the Future. Transform a Life.

Since 2018, the Transition Kitchen Foundation has been dedicated to transforming lives, empowering communities, and breaking systemic barriers through the power of the culinary arts. We are beyond thrilled to announce the highly anticipated enrollment opening for our revolutionary workforce development programs, micro-business incubators, and the grand opening of the Stew Stix Cafe!

Meet our Founder

Chef Robert Stewart, "Chef Stew"

Celebrity Chef, Entrepreneur, Educator

After more than 15 years of relentless dedication to the hospitality industry, successfully catering massive, world-class events from the 2024 Las Vegas Super Bowl to NASCAR, Food Network Champion and Celebrity Chef Robert “Chef Stew” Stewart is bringing his ultimate vision to life.

Recognizing his profound impact and commitment to the community, the City of Las Vegas has officially awarded Chef Stew a brick-and-mortar location in the heart of the Las Vegas Historic Westside. This cornerstone property will proudly serve as a dynamic, dual-concept space: the home of the vibrant Stew Stix Cafe and the headquarters for our fully integrated Workforce Culinary Training Program.

Real Experience. Real Impact.

We don't just teach in a classroom. The integration of workforce education within a live, revenue-generating commercial food service environment represents a highly effective pedagogical model for vocational training.

The Transition Kitchen Foundation, operating in direct synchronization with the Stew Stix Cafe, its mobile food truck division, and catering operations, provides an immersive educational ecosystem where theoretical classroom instruction immediately translates into practical, high-stakes application. When you step into our kitchen, you step into the real culinary industry.

Find Your Pathway to Success

Whether you are holding a chef's knife for the first time or you are ready to launch your own food empire, we have a place for you. We are thrilled to offer five distinct training levels: Adult Workforce Training, Youth Workforce Exploration, Youth Workforce Prep Academy, Worker's Retraining and Recovery, and Micro Business Development.

Hands-On Mastery: To ensure optimal learning environments and maintain uncompromising standards of commercial service, cohort sizes across all programs are strictly capped at twelve students.

Industry Certifications: Each program integrates industry-standard certifications, including the national ServSafe credential and the local Southern Nevada Health District permitting.

Career Placement: We provide direct, supported pathways to unionized employment and independent entrepreneurship.

Join the Culinary Revolution!

Discover Our Five-Tier Culinary & Micro-Business Programs

Our overarching objective is to produce graduates who aren't merely capable of cooking, but who possess the rigorous professional discipline, financial literacy, and operational acumen required to thrive in the modern culinary landscape.

Adult Workforce Training:

Dive into an intensive, sixteen-week immersion into the professional culinary arts! This track mandates 120 hours of industry education combined with rigorous on-the-job training.

Youth Workforce Exploration & Prep Academy:

We are building the next generation of chefs! From our concentrated two-week "summer camp" model for teens to our 10-month intensive cycle for young adults, we offer unparalleled vocational tracks.

Worker’s Retraining & Recovery:

Designed for individuals facing profound systemic barriers, this year-round, trauma-informed program delivers 60 hours of highly targeted education. Crucially, it places no cap on on-the-job training hours to provide immediate financial stabilization.

Micro Business Development Incubator:

Ready to be an executive operator? This year-round track targets experienced culinary professionals lacking administrative and financial acumen. Graduates receive a fully integrated Business Operating System platform, valued at $5,000 annually, completely free of charge for 12 months!

Each program seamlessly integrates industry-standard certifications, including ServSafe and Southern Nevada Health District permitting, while laying a direct pathway to independent entrepreneurship and unionized employment.

The fire is lit, and our enrollment is opening soon!

Pre-Enrollment Applications Open: May 15th

Classes Begin: Monday, July 13th

Are you ready to turn up the heat on your career?

Explore our programs and become part of the Transition Kitchen Foundation family today!

Pre-Enrollment Now OPEN!

Experience the Stew Stix Cafe Coming July 2026!

Get ready, Las Vegas! The Stew Stix Cafe isn't just our training ground; it is your new favorite dining destination.

Throughout the year, the cafe will host rotating special student led dinners and evening showcases led by visiting guest chefs.

Every meal you enjoy with us helps fund the future of our students.

Empower a Community, Ignite a Career:

Partner with the Transition Kitchen Foundation

Since 2018, the Transition Kitchen Foundation has been dedicated to breaking cycles of poverty and systemic barriers through the transformative power of the culinary arts. From youth seeking initial career exploration to adults rebuilding their lives after justice involvement or addiction recovery, the Foundation provides a structured pathway toward economic mobility.

We invite you to invest in a revolutionary model of workforce development where every dollar directly fuels human potential.

The Sponsorship Opportunity: Bridge the Gap

To ensure long-term sustainability, our model aggressively reinvests portions of our commercial revenue back into our educational pathways. We estimate a $75,000 reinvestment derived from:

20% of Cafe Gross Revenues

10% of Food Truck Operations

15% of Catering Event Revenues

5% of Product Line Sales

However, by law, all students engaged in on-the-job training must receive a base wage of $12.00 per hour. First-year hands-on training wages are estimated at $125,000, creating an annual operations cost gap.

This gap is the value we are building independent avenues to pursue, and we gratefully accept any connection to resources, sponsorships, or grants that would meet these goals.

Your sponsorship directly covers essential outfitting such as SNHD permits, ServSafe certifications, culinary uniforms, and professional Mercer knife kits, as well as the mandatory training wages. The total cost to fully outfit and train one student ranges from $1,260 for our Youth Explorers to $4,620 for our Adult Workforce and Worker's Retraining programs.

Become a foundational partner today. Help us equip the next generation of culinary leaders with the tools they need to build a better life.

An Innovative, Revenue-Generating Educational Ecosystem

The integration of workforce education within a live, revenue-generating commercial food service environment represents a highly effective pedagogical model for vocational training. We do not just teach in a classroom; the Transition Kitchen Foundation operates in direct synchronization with the Stew Stix Cafe, its mobile food truck division, and catering operations.

Here, theoretical classroom instruction immediately translates into practical, high-stakes application. To ensure optimal learning environments and maintain uncompromising standards of commercial service, cohort sizes across all programs are strictly capped at twelve students.

Comprehensive Pathways to Success

We synchronize five distinct training levels, all integrating industry-standard certifications like ServSafe and Southern Nevada Health District permitting. The overarching objective is to produce graduates who possess the rigorous professional discipline, financial literacy, and operational acumen required to thrive.

Adult Workforce Training: An intensive, 16-week immersion requiring 120 hours of industry education and rigorous on-the-job training.

Youth Explorers & Prep Academy: From a concentrated two-week summer camp for teens to a 10-month academy for young adults, these tracks integrate kinesthetic learning, financial literacy, and personal budgeting.

Worker's Retraining (Trauma-Informed Care): Designed for individuals transitioning from the criminal justice system or addiction recovery. This program integrates trauma-informed care principles and places no cap on on-the-job training hours, providing immediate financial stabilization to help reduce recidivism and prevent relapse.

Micro Business Development Incubator: Transitions experienced line cooks into executive operators. Graduates receive robust instruction in financial literacy and a fully integrated Business Operating System valued at $5,000 annually provided completely free of charge for up to 12 months.

Proven Outcomes: Real Jobs, Real Benefits

Our ultimate objective is to secure sustainable, living-wage employment for our graduates. We facilitate this through two powerful avenues:

The TK Jobs Board: An internal digital recruitment hub connecting our vetted, certified graduates directly with local employers.

Union Integration: We provide direct structural integration with the Culinary Workers Union Local 226. Securing unionized employment grants graduates access to premium-free health coverage, an employer-funded pension, and a Housing Fund that provides up to $30,000 in zero-interest loans for homeownership.

Partnerships & SponsorshipsGet Involved Today!

Our Board of Directors

The Transition Kitchen Foundation is guided by a dedicated, all-volunteer Board of Directors comprised of elite industry professionals from a diverse array of backgrounds spanning culinary arts, hospitality management, business formation, technical expertise, and marketing. United by a shared passion for empowerment and economic mobility, these dynamic leaders provide critical oversight and strategic direction. By leveraging their extensive real-world experience and expansive networks, our board actively shapes the future of the Foundation, ensuring our curriculum remains cutting-edge and our students are perfectly positioned to thrive in the modern workforce.