321 Coffee, which employs people with developmental disabilities throughout the Triangle, started as a personal mission for entrepreneur Lindsay Wrege.
Some of her longtime best friends had disabilities, and she saw firsthand how opportunities were harder to come by for them. But it was only after founding the company that she realized the scope of the problem.
When Covid hit, “every other restaurant … was struggling with labor shortages, reduced hours," Wrege said. But not 321 Coffee, which had a wait list for employment that grew every day.
“Our wait list is over 275 people who want a job at 321,” she said. “Are these people not applying for these other jobs? Or are they applying and not being considered? Both of these things are problems that need to be addressed.”
The Raleigh company's mission, of making jobs accessible to everyone, gets an extra spotlight Thursday for World Down Syndrome Day.
321 Coffee employs more than 60 people. And it’s not just typical coffee shops. Thanks to corporate partnerships, it has a location within Pendo’s headquarters, and has steadily expanded deeper into the business community. It’s the featured coffee at Bandwidth’s new campus and the coffee used at SAS in Cary. It’s also taken over a new cafe at Relias in Morrisville. And the company plans a new shop at North Carolina State University, its founders’ alma mater.
“We’ve always had a lot of corporate support … but more recently I think it’s been especially amazing to see large corporate companies that have really large presences and complex operating systems and vendors still choosing to support local,” Wrege said.
She also supports other entrepreneurs looking to explore similar opportunities, hosing quarterly information sessions on how she got started.
Like many other firms, 321 Coffee is celebrating inclusivity Thursday for World Down Syndrome Day. People with Down syndrome have three copies of their 21st chromosome, which is why the 21st is the day the community celebrates. And one typical tactic is wearing brightly colored mismatched socks, as chromosomes are shaped like socks.
Wrege said 321 Coffee is planning a big corporate event Thursday morning at Pendo’s headquarters and weekend community events at its shops in Raleigh and Durham.
In the meantime in Cary, Howdy Homemade Ice Cream is also celebrating Thursday, giving crazy sock wearers free toppings on their ice cream all day.
The shop, which opened last year, employs 22 people, including 14 with disabilities. It recently promoted one of those “heroes” — the term it uses for its disabled workers — to shift manager.
“We like to have people to come train and see what they are able to do, and push them a little to see how far they can go,” Lin said, adding that the company continues to look for shift managers and volunteers to advance its mission.
Gabi’s Grounds and Gabi’s PALs in Raleigh, which hire people with disabilities for packing and shipping tasks at places like Lenovo and Murphy’s Naturals, is also celebrating inclusivity Thursday.
The company, cofounded by Gabi Angelini, is in the process of expanding. The plan is to move into a 2,000-square-foot space at Blue Co on Pylon Drive in April.
Mary Angelini said she expects to see Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin come by Thursday for some remarks. And there will be a party with treats, she said.
