- Inclusion Cafe hopes to open its own building in 2025 to host its training program and their own restaurant.
- The relocation will provide space to expand the opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities.
- Watch the video to find out why they need your help.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
One organization has one word that's top of mind for 2025 — expansion. Inclusion Cafe wants to relocate from Northwest Tallahassee to the Southside.
The move would help them provide more training and employment opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities.
A New Year's dream to turn this plot of land into Inclusion Cafe's own building. It would host its culinary skills training program and its restaurant.
You've had your first two cohorts now, what has that been like for you to look back on?
"It's just absolutely amazing, more than what we ever thought we could do," said Bill Schack, founder and President of Inclusion Cafe.
The program provides hands-on training to people with intellectual disabilities so they can work in the restaurant industry.
"Out of the 12 people we've graduated, 7 of them are now employed in Tallahassee," said Schack, speaking about graduates like Matthew Blair who graduated in July.
Since graduating, Blair has been working at McAllister's Deli.
"I've learned a lot about being in the kitchen more safer, especially at home, I'm more in the kitchen, more than anyone in my house," said Blair.
Blair said Inclusion Cafe's program changed him.
"It taught me how to be myself, it taught me how to be more in the kitchen, then out of the kitchen because when I was younger I was terrified of being in the kitchen," said Blair.
The program has also been life-changing for Dillon Ramos.
"It helped me get a job and it taught me kitchen safety and knife safety skills," said Ramos. He's just recently been hired at the Egg Cafe.
Schack said that, with its own building, Inclusion Cafe will provide a direct pipeline from its training program to the employment of graduates at its own restaurants.
"We hope to have a building sitting on this ground so we can really impact some lives and offer some great food as well," said Schack.
Schack hopes to expand through fundraising, grants, and community donations.
"We just think it's going to change the workforce in Tallahassee," said Schack. "What a great thing for the City of Tallahassee to have something like us changing the entire workforce and the restaurant industry."
Inclusion Cafe's third cohort of students kicks off training next month. Schack said applications will open soon. Information about how to support Inclusion Cafe can be found here.
