Cosmic Café serving scratch-made food on historic Boathouse Row

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- In 2011, Chef Peg Botto moved from the Chestnut Hill Farmers Market to serving up farm-fresh food at the Cosmic Café, nestled between Kelly Drive and the Schuylkill River.

Sustainability is a big part of her mission, working with local farms and purchasing organic.

Real plates are used at the café and biodegradable items are provided for takeout.

In addition to taking care of the planet, Botto also takes care of people, especially her employees.

"We have about 35 and 20 of them are special needs," she says of her employees.

Before getting into the food business, Botto worked in human services and lived in group homes.

In 2019, Botto founded a nonprofit called The Cosmic Foundation to nurture skills for life.

Once Botto sees what tasks each person is good at doing, she says she progresses their skills, giving them more to do at the café.

And she has had a few success stories, with some employees moving on to other jobs. She says by working at the café first, it enabled that next step to happen for many of them.

The Cosmic Cafe |
The Ciderhouse | The Cosmic Foundation

1 Boathouse Row

Philadelphia, Pa. 19130