A recently established new coffee shop at the intersection of Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue is offering employment opportunities to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Lil E Coffee Cafe officially opened its second Canadian location recently. The first outlet opened in Calgary in 2021.
While talking about this gesture, Serena Curtis, one of the General Managers at the Toronto location, said: “We believe individuals with intellectual disabilities can get forgotten in the workplace.
“Our goal is to give them meaningful work in a people-facing environment.”
Lil E Coffee Cafe operates as a not-for-profit and the employees at the café graduate after a period of time, and graduate to further employment. Curtis said small adjustments at the business like instructions for customers on how to order help the staff grow.
The goal of the café is to start a movement to motivate other employers to employ people with intellectual disabilities.
Dylan Harman, an employee at Lil E Coffee Cafe, said he was happy when he discovered he got the job. He said he loves to serve customers coffee and see them smile.
He said: “There was a period where I didn’t have a job. I was kind of feeling a bit depressed.
“I just love, like, actually having a job and being able to communicate with people, meeting new people and making coffee for them.”
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