MILWAUKEE— Caitlin Cullen jokes that she hardly remembers running a restaurant. When the pandemic took hold in March, she planned to cook the food in her fridges at Tandem, give it away, then close up. Since then, donations and partnerships with other restaurants and even the World Central Kitchen have allowed Tandem to serve more than 50,000 community meals and spun off a community fridge outside the restaurant.

Cullen’s latest community program brings her back to the days before she was in the food business. The former English teacher and high school principal is the operator of one of Milwaukee’s newest after-school tutoring programs.

“I like teaching, but since I’m not an educator, I can bribe kids,” Cullen said. “We can give you a cool t-shirt, we can give you something to eat and also pay our volunteers so it’s a little equitable and just get kids in here.”

Community donations allowed Cullen to bring in laptops and hire dozens of tutors who have worked two sessions between 3:30 and 7 p.m. on weekdays.

Thursday afternoon, Milwaukee College Prep seventh-grader Bailey Reid dropped in at Tandem to work on homework. He was able to grasp the distributive property after a few minutes of practice but admits learning math online is still an adjustment.

“It’s (virtual school) kind of hard for me because I don’t get to see the teachers in person that help me,” he said.

Bailey worked alongside Betty Allen, a video editor who applied to tutor after seeing Cullen’s Instagram post about the new program.

“I’m just a big fan of the restaurant and what they do for everyone and all the great community programs they’ve had during the pandemic,” Allen said.

“Tandem 20/20” started in mid-September with tutors working one-on-one with students on the restaurant’s patio. Cooler weather has brought everyone into the dining room, but limited space forced Cullen to find a new home for her latest creation. The tutoring program will shift to Owen’s Place further north on Fond du Lac Ave. in the coming weeks.

Cullen is unsure when Tandem will return to operating as a traditional restaurant. Her place near 18th and Fond du Lac became something much bigger in 2020, and its new mission will continue into next year. With funding from the federal CARES Act, The Tandem will partner with the city of Milwaukee and other restaurants to establish a meal delivery service for seniors unable to leave their homes this winter.

To donate to Tandem 20/20, register a student, or apply to become a tutor, click here.