A Special Blend: a special place to be
December 4, 2023
If you’re looking for a new place to check out in High Point that is unique and spreads lots of positivity, the new coffee shop called A Special Blend is the place to go.
A Special Blend first established itself in Greensboro, but has recently opened a new shop in the city of High Point. A Special Blend puts themselves on a different pedestal compared to other cafés, because they train and hire adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.
Jennifer Erath, Store Manager said, “Honestly, it’s just so happy in here, I don’t think you can go anywhere else and have someone open the door for you and greet you. And just the energy in general, you’ll see it, everyone is just genuinely happy to be here, and they always have a smile on their faces.”
A Special Blend is truly all about spreading kindness and positivity from the second you walk through the door, which is opened for you by employees, to the time you leave, as almost everyone waves goodbye and wishes to see you again real soon. The environment is contagious and not only is this coffee shop making their customers feel good as they come and go, but they make their employees feel good too.
General Manager Bonnie Lovell is a perfect example of the effect A Special Blend has on a person because she started out as a customer, then became a volunteer and is now general manager. She provided me with their mission statement which really brings home what A Special Blend’s goals and aspirations are for both store locations.
“Our mission is to improve the quality of life for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities by providing meaningful employment and foundational job skills training. We accomplish that in an interactive community environment and "blend" the crew members with a system of supportive managers and dedicated volunteers who teach, guide, empower, mentor, and encourage. It's a beautiful sight to witness what's happening not only within the walls of our coffee shop but also out in the community where others are celebrating what people with disabilities CAN do. Employers are beginning to hire individuals with disabilities because of what they've experienced at A Special Blend and that's the ultimate gratification for what we do.”
The end goal isn’t to have their employees working at the shops forever. Instead, they want them to be able to take the skills they learn and put it towards other jobs. People tend to count people with intellectual and developmental disabilities out, but A Special Blend is showcasing that they have just as much to offer as others.
“A lot of our café crew that are out here are volunteers in the job training program. So, a lot of them are still young. Some of them are 17, 18 in high school. And it gives them a lot of those foundational skills to be able to find jobs throughout the community or potentially even go up and do the behind the counter jobs,” Erath said.
Armani, who completed her training at Greensboro, is one of many employees who are gaining these skills while having a blast at work. She said, “I like everything!”
She made the switch from Greensboro to High Point when the second store opened, and she has enjoyed her experience at both stores. “What I like about A Special Blend is the people, the customers, and friends that I make, I actually have a couple of them that have come a few times,” Armani said.
A Special Blend has supplied these employees with a purpose in life and has given them real world experiences and opportunities that many of them would not have received. This has not gone unnoticed, with many of them expressing their gratitude.
Brian, an employee, said, “This is like a dream come true.”
“Thank you for giving me this job. It gives me something to look forward to,” Cameron, an employee at A Special Blend, said.
Abby, an employee, said, “I wake up early because I look forward to coming to work.”
Along with these amazing employees, you can feel the positivity and fuzziness in the atmosphere.
The employees are always smiling ear-to-ear. The food is exceptional, you can see a full menu here. When you order an item you are handed an affirmation card. These are given out with every order and the word is called when your order is ready. This may seem like a small, insignificant detail, but it is a friendly reminder to love yourself and see your true worth.
The affirmations are not only things used to spread positivity during a regular work day. Affirmations are used behind the scenes, especially in situations that could stress employees out, like the grand opening of A Special Blend in High Point.
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“Our grand opening, I absolutely loved, so right before we started, we took a minute and every single crew member came up and reminded themselves ‘I am brave,’ ‘I am enough,’ ‘I am heard,’ whatever affirmation spoke to them and that’s how we kind of opened. It was just a really cool experience,” said Erath.
A Special Blend has gained lots of attention recently for its work with the community.
Lovell said, “We look forward to furthering our connections with High Point University and others in the community so you can get to know some of the very best people we know.”
A Special Blend gives back to the community by offering every individual the chance to make a difference and follow their dreams.
Affirmation cards