After just five months, KC area cafe has closed: ‘We don’t know what the future holds’
Good People Cafe, a nonprofit restaurant in Grain Valley where the majority of employees had disabilities, has closed after just five months.
“We did not have enough capital,” said owner Kris Stevens. “We probably needed to have $1 million from the beginning to cover build-out costs and to absorb the losses every restaurant incurs when the days are slow.”
The cafe, launched by Faith United Methodist Church of Grain Valley, opened in May in a former Mid-Continent Public Library branch at 101 S.W. Eagles Parkway. It was built on donations: furniture from Buffalo Wild Wings and Pizza Hut, a GoFundMe drive, and individual contributions from church members and people in the community.
Eight-five percent of staff at Good People Cafe had a physical or intellectual disability of some kind, such as autism or Down syndrome.
“All the details were designed specifically for our staff, for their abilities and to build confidence,” Stevens said. “We set out to intentionally create positions that most anyone with a disability could do.”
The counters were low so that cashiers in wheelchairs could serve customers comfortably. Food was brought out on carts to accommodate staff with dexterity issues; drinks were self-serve for the same reason.
“Our disabled employees learned that they are valuable, capable and most importantly employable,” Stevens said. “Our non-disabled employees learned what it is like to be immersed in a community of people that support each other and are willing to learn, they learned that faster doesn’t always mean better.”
In August, the cafe temporarily closed after a manager and some cooks moved on. It sought additional funding of $75,000 and reopened for another month. Ultimately, though, the restaurant wasn’t sustainable.
“We don’t know what the future holds,” Stevens said. “My personal hope would be that seeing our staff’s successes would show the rest of the restaurant world, and other businesses, that this community is employable.
“Don’t discount an applicant because they may not talk or walk the way everyone else does. Disabled employees may require a little more up front, but given the right training, they can be exemplary devoted employees. I promise they’re worth it.”
