Our Mission

Launched by Focus Points Family Resource Center in October 2016, Comal was formed in direct response to the community-identified need for economic opportunity in the face of gentrification. Since Comal opened its doors, the training program has served 40 participants and helped launch 6 businesses.

Comal provides immigrant and refugee women with a 24 to 36-month training program using an "earn while you learn" model. Participants receive classroom education once a week, and train in the Comal restaurant and learn on-the-job skills, test their heritage recipes and develop a "restaurant owner" mindset. Everything on the menu is made from scratch, reflecting the heritage of each aspiring entrepreneur.  

Comal's "earn while you learn" model helps support each participant's financial sustainability while they invest this time into their future.  Each participant earns a stipend that can help offset the costs of their training, such as income forgone in a low-paying job elsewhere. The model also provides flexibility to participants so that they can more easily juggle family and household responsibilities while building their skills at a time that works for them.