|
The Good People Cafe opened in May at 101 SW Eagles Parkway, with a breakfast and lunch menu and a mission to provide an opportunity for those with disabilities to gain valuable job experience and be a part of the community. Enthusiasm for the mission is high and the restaurant has had a positive reception in the community, but a series of setbacks threatens the future of this new venture. Kris Stevens, a member of the planning team for the cafe and a parent of one of Good People Cafe's employees, said the perfect storm of circumstances led to the restaurant closing its doors this week to reflect and reorganize. Key members of management left for personal and medical reasons and the restaurant also lost a few line cooks. Funds are also extremely tight, and the expenses related to running a restaurant are extremely high. While their customer base continues to grow, the breakfast and lunch crowds are not enough to sustain them. Stevens said the cafe has closed its doors to regroup, restaff, fundraise, and create a sustainable plan going forward. "We do believe we can be sustainable, we just need community support to get there," Stevens said. The cafe's board is seeking community support and corporate support to raise $75,000 to allow the cafe to reorganize and reopen so their employees can return to work. Stevens said the special needs employees that staff the cafe are eager to get back to work, and the board is doing everything possible to continue to provide a space where they can contribute to their community. "They want to come back to work. It's not about the paycheck for them. It's about a place where they belong and have community." To donate online, visit https://valleyfaith.churchcenter.com/.../to/good-people-cafe . For corporate sponsorship information, click here.  Photo credit: Good People Cafe  Comments are closed.
|
Categories
All
Archives
April 2025
|
RSS Feed
