Kindness Cafe + Play opened quietly during the first COVID-19 wave’s peak. Now, after battling pandemic-related challenges for almost two years, owner Katie Kishore is looking to expand on her mission: To give adults with cognitive disabilities structured, gainful employment and a place to feel like they’re part of something big.
“It has been wonderful—even getting going during the pandemic was great for us,” Kishore says. “Adults with disabilities often have a hard time engaging with the greater community, and during the pandemic that was even more so.”
Since its outdoor-only start in July 2020, Kindness Cafe has grown to employ eight part-time workers. The cafe opened its indoor space in May 2021, and Kishore says the shop is finally developing the sense of community she always envisioned.
Kishore is considering multiple ways to give even more adults with unique skill sets the sense of structure and responsibility employment provides. One option would be to expand hours (located in the Brooks Family YMCA, the Kindness Cafe is currently open from 8am to noon). Another would be to open a second location.
“There are people that are asking us to join our team and be a part of it,” Kishore says. “We intentionally began this small, and we are lucky to be at the YMCA, which gives us flexibility. I’m not saying we need to be open 12 hours a day.”
Kishore, who has two daughters, one with Down syndrome, modeled Kindness Cafe after Bitty & Beau’s in Wilmington, North Carolina. She had seen a video about the coffee shop, which also employs adults with disabilities, and visited to see what it was all about in 2017.
Kishore ran a crowdfunding campaign to get off the ground in 2019 and launched Kindness Cafe about a year later. The cafe uses grant funding and community support, in addition to sales revenue, to thrive.
“It is beginning to feel like a real community for people with and without disabilities,” Kishore says. “The staff has been fantastic. They show up each day and do their best to have a positive impact on those around them.”