'We knew it was going to be a great fit:' Bitty & Beau's Coffee soon making Pittsburgh home
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - "Delivery for Joe! It's his first Bitty-Beau's Paycheck!"
It was genuine excitement sure to make just about anyone smile.
Right now, over 80-percent of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the country are unemployed but a really unique coffee shop franchise is looking to change that.
They're arriving here in the Strip District in just a few months.
We spoke with the owner whose two children with Down syndrome, Bitty and Beau, inspired the business.
"Hey guys, I'm Beau and I'm Bitty...Pittsburgh!"
It's more than a cup of coffee, it's a movement with caffeine, cookies, and dance parties.
"Now we also love dance parties, so we have tons of dance parties, sometimes karaoke, lots of high fives and hugs," said Amy Wright, the co-founder of Bitty & Beau's Coffee.
Wright and her husband founded Bitty & Beau's, named after their two children with Down syndrome, seven years ago.
"We are a franchise system, and when we found the family in Pittsburgh that wanted to bring this to Pittsburgh, we knew it was going to be a great fit," she said.
Coming soon to the Strip District, Bitty & Beau's will immerse you immediately and you'll realize it's something you haven't seen before.
"People with disabilities working and earning a paycheck, and so beyond that, you have a lot of interactions with people with disabilities," she explained. "The person taking your order, the person making your drink, the person giving you your drink, it's all about human connection."
One of the ways they connect is by making what usually are little moments into big ones.
"For most of our employees, they've never had a job before, never received a paycheck, so it's a pretty big deal when they get that first paycheck," Wright said. "They realize not only did they have a great day, but they got paid for having a great day being on the job."
That genuine enthusiasm is something we all can learn from.
"I think it's just such an important reminder of how much that job means to them and I don't know, we say that they all come with this sense of gratitude to the workplace and it's infectious," Wright explained. "So, you cannot unsee that when you've seen so much joy. It kind of helps you think about your own life and what we should all be grateful for."
The store will be coming to Smallman Street and is aiming for a late-summer, early-fall launch date.
They plan to start interviews over the next several months, as well.