At Tim's Place, food is hot and hugs are free

At Tim's Place, food is hot and hugs are free


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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — At Tim's Place, you'll get a hug along with your breakfast enchiladas.

Tim Harris, the owner of the restaurant in Albuquerque, has wanted to own a restaurant since he was 14 years old. Tim, who has Down syndrome, welcomes every customer he can with a smile — and, for those want one, a hug, as the motto, "Breakfast, lunch and hugs" promises. An electronic counter keeps track of the number of hugs given, which has exceeded 32,000.

"Sometimes customers get sad. I give them a hug and they feel a lot better," Tim said. "The hugs are way more important than the food; food is food."

Tim, as far as the Harris family has been able to find, is the only restaurant owner with Down syndrome. They hope others will join him, though.

"He told us that someday he was going to own a restaurant. After we all gulped and gasped, we began to take him seriously. The result is history in the making," said Tim's father, Keith Harris.

In 2008, Tim earned certificates from Eastern New Mexico University in Food Service and Office Skills. He opened Tim's Place, serving Tex-Mex, in 2010.

"Tim's Place is the special place to be at because it's run and operated by me. Since I was a kid, I've wanted to own a restaurant. I asked my dad to help me out, and I'm glad I did," Tim said. "They support me so I can accomplish my dreams."


The hugs are way more important than the food; food is food.

–Tim Harris, Tim's Place


His family helps him run the business, but the heart of it is Tim. He welcomes customers, checks in on their meals and moods, and heads back to the kitchen on occasion to tell his cooks they are the best and he loves them.

Every morning, while walking into work, Tim takes a moment to dance his heart out and set the tone for the day in a personal dance party in the parking lot.

"It's a dance of magic," Tim said.

But his ambitions don't stop at owning and operating a restaurant. Tim has competed in the Special Olympics in poly hockey, basketball, track and field events, among others, since he was young child. And if you ask him, he has won more medals than Michael Phelps.

"As any parent of a special needs child can tell you, sometimes it seems that they have to put forth twice the effort for half the success," wrote a reviewer on Urban Spoon, Barbara H. "If you raise your special child to believe that they can accomplish anything, they will grow up to be just like Tim Harris . ..homecoming king, Student of the Year, college graduate, Olympic gold medalist . ..the list goes on and on. It's an afterthought to add that Tim also has Down Syndrome, because that doesn't seem to get in his way."

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Celeste Tholen Rosenlof

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