Cafes Keep Proving That Community Outreach Through Helping And Hiring Those With Disabilities, Ex-Convicts, Victims Of Violence And Others Is A Sustainable Business Practice That Benefits Both Business And Society – CoffeeTalk

Lucky Ones Coffee, a small coffee shop in Park City, Utah, is a model for other companies, including those that shy away from hiring people with disabilities, says Harvard Business School Professor Richard S. Ruback. The business, which opened in 2018 and expanded in 2022 to a second location in nearby Kamas, could serve as a model for other companies, including organizations that shy away from hiring people with disabilities.

Roughly 6.5 million people in the United States have intellectual disabilities such as autism and Down syndrome, but less than 23% of working-age disabled women and men were employed in 2023, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate among disabled adults in 2023 was 7 percent, more than twice as high as the rate of people without disabilities. Businesses, particularly those with high turnover, are missing out by failing to tap this segment of the workforce, says Ruback, who worked on a recently released multimedia case study about Lucky Ones Coffee.

The company’s 17 employees have intellectual and developmental disabilities, and the business has a waiting list of about 40 prospective applicants who are eager to step in when a position becomes available. “People who hire people with disabilities have almost no turnover,” Ruback says. “We began the project by asking if businesses could provide employment opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities that were both good for the business and good for the people. I think the answer is largely ‘yes.’”

Ruback, a Baker Foundation Professor and the Willard Prescott Smith Professor of Corporate Finance, Emeritus, developed the case with Robin Greenwood, the George Gund Professor of Finance and Banking, as well as HBS executive fellow Joe Higgins, HBS multimedia producer Matt Preble, and HBS creative director Dave Habeeb. The researchers note that many employers are reluctant to hire this population, partly because they are concerned about the cost of providing reasonable accommodations or because they fear they will face lawsuits if they terminate an employee. “Employment of the special needs community really doesn’t get attention. It’s a massive disconnect, and we wanted to bring light to that,” Higgins says.

Lucky Ones Coffee founders Katie Holyfield and Taylor Matkins touted their purpose-based mission in their request for the library space. Local officials ultimately chose their proposal over others developed by people with more experience and agreed to provide the space rent-free. In the multimedia case, barista Preslee Simmons explains how much working for Lucky Ones Coffee means to her: “Working makes me feel useful,” she says. “The customers are so nice to me, and I feel seen. It makes me so happy.”

Most small, independent coffee shops operate on tight margins, and Lucky Ones Coffee is no different. The two entrepreneurs have formed a nonprofit called The Lucky Project, enabling them to accept donations and protect their brand’s intellectual property. While the founders are determined to ensure the company’s long-term success, the main goal was never to make huge profits, but to provide a meaningful contribution to the community, the researchers say.

Read More @ Working Knowledge