The Price Center opened its new Kindness Cafe on the morning of February 13, launching an inclusive coffee shop designed to provide hands-on barista training for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The cafe is open in the Price Center headquarters three mornings a week, by invitation only. The service is free, and guests are encouraged to make donations in support of the program.
Abigail Parrilla, CEO of the Price Center, said the cafe offers participants an opportunity to build job skills in a supportive, public-facing environment.
“This is an absolute labor of love and a dream come true for our individuals,” Parrilla said.
The origin
Parrilla said the idea for the cafe began about a year and a half ago, when she wrote a grant proposal aimed at launching a business within the Price Center. When she asked program participants what kind of business they wanted, many said they hoped to run a coffee shop.
“This is a donation-based coffee shop for life skills development, but particularly they want to be baristas, so it’s a barista training program,” she said. “Our metric for success is that in about six to eight months, with the skills they learn here, they will get a barista job outside of our four walls.”
Parrilla said the project was funded in part by a grant and seed money from an anonymous donor. She said participants were involved early in the process, even helping select equipment at a coffee supply warehouse.
“Everything from the bricks on the walls to the great atmosphere you see is all driven by our individuals, and they named it the Kindness Cafe,” she said.
Gaining experience
Founded more than 50 years ago, the Price Center serves adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism, through a range of support and employment programs. The new barista training initiative operates within the Center’s employment program, allowing participants to earn pay while building workplace skills.
Parrilla said participants receive the same foundational barista training offered in traditional coffee shops, including steaming and frothing milk and learning the differences between drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos. She emphasized that the goal is to equip trainees with transferable skills they can use in future jobs.
Parrilla said the program also emphasizes discipline and routine, noting that operating a coffee shop requires staff to arrive hours before opening. In addition to technical skills, she said participants are developing workplace habits that can prepare them for a variety of jobs beyond the Center.
“Sadly, sometimes our individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism, don’t always get a seat at the table,” she said. “Here at the Price Center they get a seat at the table.”
Parrilla noted that the Kindness Cafe operates as a nonprofit venture. While baristas are paid for their work, the cafe is not open to the general public and currently serves guests on an invitation-only basis.
“It is a training ground, but become a friend of the Price Center, and you can come to the cafe and learn more about us, volunteer, and help us advance the initiative,” she said.
Invited guests receive a cup of coffee and are encouraged to make a donation to support the program.
“You come in, you get a cup of coffee, and we ask you to just give us a donation so we can keep reinvesting and paying our individuals and the upkeep of the cafe and materials,” she said. Donations are voluntary and determined by the guest.
“We want to empower our individuals to live, work, and thrive in their community,” she said.
Board of Directors member April DaSuta said her involvement with the Center began through legal work connected to one of its founding families, the Finebergs, who have long supported the organization’s fundraising efforts.
DaSuta said she also has a 21-year-old son with disabilities who will soon be eligible for adult services, and she expects he will likely participate in programs at the Price Center.
DaSuta said the space for the cafe once served primarily as a lunchroom but has now been transformed into a gathering place with purpose.
“They need opportunities to do things together and to learn different skills,” she said.
DaSuta said the program could serve as a stepping stone for participants to pursue jobs at other coffee shops in the community. She added that supporters can contribute to the cafe’s growth in a variety of ways, including sponsoring one of the bricks displayed on the cafe’s wall.
‘A seat at the table’
Michael Simmons, who works at the cafe counter, said the program has already helped him build confidence and strengthen his customer service skills.
“I am excited to work at the cafe because it will let me build confidence and momentum,” Simmons said.
He said he hopes the experience will help him grow both personally and professionally. Some participants also hold jobs outside the Center while training at the cafe.
U.S. Congressman Jake Auchincloss attended the opening along with State Representatives John Lawn, Amy Sangiolo, and Greg Schwartz, and Mayor Marc Laredo.
When asked about the Newton community, Parrilla said she is looking forward to welcoming residents to the cafe as it grows.
“I hope that Newton residents, who are amazing and very inclusive, can help me create a more inclusive society, and maybe they want to partner with us and help our baristas expand in their skills,” she said.
