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LONG ISLAND, N.Y. — A New York café is gaining rave reviews for so much more than just its food.
Stacey Wohl built Cause Café with the help of people who likely wouldn’t be hired elsewhere. That’s because she makes a point to employ young adults with cognitive disabilities.
“Just because they have a disability doesn’t mean they can’t do the same things we do,” Wohl told Today. “They want to be productive, they want to be happy, they want to feel fulfilled, they want to be in society and feel good about themselves.”
Wohl’s two children — both of whom are severely autistic and nonverbal — inspired her to open the restaurant. She wanted 17-year-old Logan and 19-year-old Brittany to have a chance to work in a traditional environment where they wouldn’t be dismissed due to their disabilities.
“To think that your child can be productive in society is a dream come true,” Wohl told Today. “I never thought that my kids, with their level of autism, would be able to interact with people.”
The single mom quickly realized how many children needed that chance, and now employs eight young adults who are on the autism spectrum, according to Today. These youth work as cooks, bussers, greeters and even trainers.
Happy Labor Day to our wonderful employees! Thank you for making the Cause Café a #lovely place to be. pic.twitter.com/0bsn0RsNog
— Our Coffee w/a Cause (@OurCoffeeWCause) September 6, 2016
Wohl has enlisted the help of psychologist Cheryl Mendelson, who also serves as Cause Café’s director of training. Along with restaurant and job training, Mendelson coaches the staff on basic social skills, instilling in them valuable tools that will hopefully serve them well once they leave the comfort of the Café.
“Many places don’t employ people with disabilities, so a lot of them end up staying home and doing nothing,” she told Today.
Cause Café assistant cook Cody Stillwagon, 20, was afraid he’d fall into that trap. He worked hard to obtain a culinary degree, but he had difficulty finding any kind of job in the food services industry due to his disability.
He’s found a home at Cause Café.
“To be able to work here and get treated with respect really changes my life,” Stillwagon told Today. “I was ready to give up on my dream of cooking after I left the other restaurants.”
For much of his life, Jonathan Barksdale, who has Asperger’s syndrome, covered his ears when people tried to talk to him. He had extreme difficulty communicating, something that significantly hampered his ability to function in society since many employers considered him a risky hire.
But all that changed when he was hired to be a greeter at Cause Café.
“I always put a smile on my face and tip my hat like a gentleman and say, ‘Welcome to Cause Café!’” he told Today.
Barksdale’s mom Dorina told Today she is beyond grateful for Wohl and her special restaurant.
“Jonathan is at home here,” she said. “He finally feels like he fits in somewhere.”
Wohl said her café wouldn’t be what it is without the kind people who stop by daily for their coffee and some conversation.
“The people who are coming in here know they’re making a difference,” she told Today. “You can eat anywhere, but when you come here, you are giving someone an opportunity who might never have had a chance to have a job.”
Wohl told Today she hopes her project catches on elsewhere, and that businesses consider the mutual benefits to employing young people with disabilities.
