* Enjoy Illinois…

Gerry’s Café in Arlington Heights is more than a coffee shop—it’s a community-driven café staffed by adults 22 and older with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Co-founded by Amy and Natalie, the café is named in honor of Amy’s Aunt Geralyn, a child with Down syndrome who brought immense joy to her family. The mission is to empower capable individuals often excluded from the workforce by offering meaningful employment, job training, and a place to connect. At Gerry’s Café, every order fills more than just your cup—it uplifts lives and builds a stronger, more inclusive community.

* Daily Herald…

The business employs 35 adults with disabilities between the ages of 22 to 52. They work independently as baristas, cashiers, greeters, bakers, dishwashers and sandwich and salad makers. A general manager, assistant manager and two shift supervisors oversee day-to-day operations, training, inventory and payroll.

“What I thought would be our biggest challenge was our employees and their training, and would they be successful. That was never a challenge,” Griffin said. “I was proven wrong because they immediately accepted the job, they got the training, they were excited, and they put forth so much effort to be good at their jobs.”

* But the business is still facing challenges. More from the Daily Herald…

The founders acknowledge the financial sustainability of Gerry’s Café remains a concern. Nearly two years in, they’ve yet to break even at the register. Payroll costs remain high, and were further increased by the hike in the minimum wage from $14 to $15 an hour at the beginning of the year, they say.

At the same time, there’s great demand for jobs: the shop has a waitlist of 35. […]

But the big thing has been “just getting people to know that we’re here,” Griffin said.

I know I’ll be stopping at Gerry’s soon.

…Adding… If you want to support Gerry’s click here!