Gerry's Cafe 'clear choice' for Arlington Heights award
Planning for an Arlington Heights coffee shop started five years ago, with the expressed intent of hiring people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Gerry's Cafe hasn't even been open for two months, but it was little surprise around the village hall this week when the nonprofit business was named winner of the village's 2023 Disability Employment Awareness Award.
Gerry's Cafe received 27 nominations from in and around the village - the most in the 15 years the Arlington Heights Commission for Citizens with Disabilities has sponsored the recognition.
"Gerry's Cafe has already left a lasting impression on the Arlington Heights community," Mayor Tom Hayes said.
The coffee shop, 1802 N. Arlington Heights Road, employs 45 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, who work in roles as varied as barista, cashier, sandwich maker, dishwasher and greeter. They are assisted by six other crew members and two managers.
Hayes said Gerry's Cafe was "the clear choice" for this year's award, which is given to employers who proactively recruit, hire and employ people with disabilities.
Co-founders Natalie Griffin and Amy Philpott had the idea to open the coffee shop because many businesses weren't hiring that population.
"Amy and I saw a void in our community," Griffin said. "Amy and I wanted to make a change. We wanted to start a business that would say 'yes' to these individuals who had heard 'no' so many times throughout their life."
In the weeks since the Aug. 26 grand opening, they say they've already seen success in their employees, who are mostly independent while working.
"These employees are showing off their abilities," Griffin said. "We see the results of our cafe offering these opportunities to individuals, for the most part, who have been isolated at home without having much engagement with the community.
"We see friendships being developed. We see confidence growing. With each individual, we see the pride that they feel and the sense of being valued."