Common Grounds Cafe

Julie Martinez opened Common Grounds Cafe on January 16th, 2008 as part of People For Care And Learning. The vision was to create a missional enterprise that would give poor and disadvantaged individuals in Siem Reap the chance to work. Instead of giving handouts we believe in giving opportunity through providing on the job vocational training in the restaurant and hospitality industry.

We have trained and provided jobs to dozens Cambodian youths over the past 11 years. We have been ecstatic to see them succeed in their careers. Some of them have worked at some of the best hotels and restaurants Cambodia offers.

Dalath Loeut, one of the 13 initial employees, was hired in 2008. He is from a poor family in the countryside of Battambang province and he had no previous job experience in the restaurant industry. He started working with us as a server and through hard work and dedication he learned and worked his way up taking on more and more responsibility. In 2015, Dalath became the manager of Common Grounds, and today he carries out all of our day-to-day operations. He is now on a different side of the spectrum and providing hope to youth with similar backgrounds as himself.