Coffee shops are cool, but in Wilmington, Bitty & Beau's Coffee enjoys a good reputation for its warmth.
At the heart of the shop's popularity is its 1staff: Almost everyone has an intellectual (智力的) or developmental disability.
The coffee shop was opened in 2016 by Amy Wright and her husband, 2 by two of her four children Beau and Bitty, who have Down syndrome (唐氏征).
When the couple discovered that most people with intellectual and developmental disabilities could never find an employer who would even give them a(n)3, they resolved to do something about it.
"It4me like a flash of lightning: a coffee shop!" Wright said. "It would be the perfect environment for bringing people together. Seeing the staff5customers at the door, preparing food, serving orders and cleaning tables, people would realize how6they are. "
When the shop opened, it immediately had7out the door. National press attention8, and six months later, it had to move to a9space.
Today, the store employs 40 people with disabilities, who are really good at their jobs.
What makes Amy most proud is the10it has built in the community. "Every day, people say, 'You've made my day. Thank you.' That's a feeling of happiness most people don't get elsewhere, and it's what11 people back here," she said. "This is a place where people can 12with those with disabilities and realize how much more alike we are than different. It's13a cup of coffee. It's a human rights movement. It's given our employees the respect and a sense of being14that they deserve. For many employees, it's their first job, and their15fills the air."
