All Square is packed for hours throughout my visit.
Grilled cheese reallydoeshit the spot for people of all ages and demographic backgrounds.
More than that, it seems to inspire a true sense of connection among customers.
In fact, the fellows helped her name many of the menu items.
Whats clear from speaking to staffers and customers alike is that the cheese is the main draw here.
We make a really good team, she beams.
Who isnt happy when theyre eating grilled cheese?
It has a playful element that automatically softens a topic as serious as incarceration.
Emily thinks of the sandwiches she serves at All Square as skepticism diffusers.
After all, how could you not be more open-minded while eating a wonderfully gooey cheese sandwich?
I want to be part of the solution instead of just talking about it, she says.
How does All Square connect with the local community?
And she is the first to recognize that shes not doing all of the heavy lifting on her own.
Emily genuinely appreciates the hard work of the dairy farmers who produce the cheese she serves at All Square.
She also works closely with her board of directors to structure the restaurant and institute.
Through cheese, Emily truly hopes to make a difference.
This applies not only to All Squares fellows, but to everyone in the community at large.
Emily very mindfully built her restaurant as a setting thats ripe for listening to others stories.
When people listen, she says, they empathize.
She also hopes that she can one day host expungement clinics with lawyers in her community-centric space.
By day, Roslynn ensures that civil rights and anti-discrimination laws are being followed.
How do you combine grilled cheese and social justice?
All Square is also meant to be a meeting room where larger community events can be held.
She wants to help them feel truly successful after rejoining society.
Whats next for All Square?
Eventually, Emilys goal is to make this enterprise a nationally viable business model.
