Oakland restaurateur Derreck Johnson knows that life is all about second chances: he took the reins at Home of Chicken and Waffles in 2004, four years after his father decided to retire.

No one in the family was interested, Johnson told Hoodline in a telephone interview; even his cousins "had a different vision for the business," he said.

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The restaurant game has paid off for Johnson—in addition to its Jack London Square flagship, today, he now has outposts in Walnut Creek and Daly City.

Johnson uses the restaurants as a platform to extend second chances to others; the kitchen and staff are largely made up of people looking to turn their lives around. When he owned a detailing business, Johnson said he frequently employed residents of a halfway house.

“We were getting busy, and my employee just said they would call the house and get some of the guys to work,” he said. “I ended up hiring the guys and I didn’t even know until weeks later that they were in a halfway house.”

Through this exchange, Johnson got to know Kevin Grant, a former inmate who's worked to reduce violence in Oakland for several years. Today, Grant is on the staff of Unite Oakland, a group that reaches out to youth in at-risk communities.

In 2004, Johnson tapped Grant's network to hire halfway house residents to work at his businesses. Today, a significant number of his employees have felony convictions.

“I was very hands-on with this population and they worked really hard, especially when I had one restaurant,” said Johnson. “I would know how to handle and deal with the individual, and really sit down and mentor them on how this is how you’re going to sustain yourself.”

Johnson’s experience growing up in West Oakland helped him establish a rapport with workers. Since the program began, Johnson has expanded the staff to include women who have also been formerly incarcerated.

Initially 10 to 15 percent of his workforce, formerly incarcerated people now make up about 70 percent of his staff.

Johnson has received accolades and recognition for his work, but the most rewarding aspect is getting to watch these young women and men change and grow, he said.

“I’ve got people who have gotten their immigration paper all together and their college degrees, so watching the growth and change in them inspires me,” Johnson said. “I give an opportunity and I give second, third and fifth chances, because that’s what these people need.”

Home of Chicken and Waffles (444 Embarcadero W) is open from 11am – midnight Monday – Thursday, 11am – 4am on Friday and Saturday, and from 10am to midnight on Sunday.

To apply for a job, send an email to [email protected] or come into the restaurant, Monday - Wednesday between 2-4pm.