A local cafe is closing down for the rest of the year to not only expand their kitchen but also their ability to serve the city's youth.

Sam's Place, a cafe in Elmwood run by MCC Manitoba, will be shutting down for the remainder of 2017 as they prepare for a large change.

"We're going to be undergoing renovations to expand our kitchen facility," said Ruth Plett, manger of Sam's Place. The existing kitchen has served the cafe well, but is very small. It uses a residential stove rather than a commercial one.

Plett is grateful for the kitchen staff who make the place run through such a small space, including the catering of meals. But there is something she is really looking forward to.

"The big thing we are really excited about is the way it's going to expand our capacity in terms of training volunteers," Plett exclaimed. 

Helping youth, specifically those aged 14 to 24, is a big part of the mission.

"One of the key goals of Sam's Place is to engage with youth," Plett said. "[We do that] by job training and giving them employable skills."

And it's worked. 25 of the youth who have volunteered have found employment outside of Sam's Place, while 150 youth have spent time volunteering over the past year.

The last day Sam's Place will be open is Friday, October 27. Plett says the plan is to reopen at the beginning of 2018.