Bitty and Beau’s Coffee is an amazing nationwide coffee shop chain that is much more than a coffee shop. In fact, Amy Wright, one of Bitty and Beau’s owners, received CNN’s Hero of the Year a few years ago for the great work she is doing through this organization.
The original Beau’s Coffee opened January 2016 in a 500 square foot space in Wilmington, NC. The original shop was run by 19 employees with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With over 80% of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities unemployed nationwide, Beau’s Coffee created a path for people with disabilities to become more valued, accepted and included in every community.
Pretty cool, don’t you think!?
As the father of a ten-year-old with Down syndrome, I am encouraged to learn about companies that hire people with different abilities. You see, a job is much more than a paycheck. A job gives people an opportunity to add value and feel the dignity of making a meaningful contribution to an organization. I’m thankful for how Bitty and Beau’s Coffee is helping to give people like my son opportunities to be a job and experience the value and dignity that comes with it.
My wife graduated from Baylor University, I have family in the Waco area, and we are a short drive from Waco, so I was SUPER excited when I found out Bitty and Beau’s was going to be opening up a franchise location in Waco!
Earlier this year I had a chance to have lunch with the owner of this location (who is a SUPER great guy) and this summer our family had an opportunity to meet with him in Waco at the new location and get a tour (which as you can see below, was still under construction.)
The new location is fantastic. It’s in Downtown Waco minutes away from Baylor University and walking distance from the Magnolia Silos. They recently had a hiring fair and plan on opening soon!
I can’t wait to come back when it opens, and I can’t wait to see how this Bitty and Beau’s location impacts the city of Waco and beyond! (We’re already talking about possibly doing a Hope Story event there, so if you’re within driving distance, stay tuned!)
Have you been to a Bitty and Beau location? If so, what did you think? Leave a comment below and tell me about your experience.
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