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BIG Wall Décor Donates Large Colorful Wall Art to Kenzie’s Be Cafe
BIG Wall Décor Donates Large Colorful Wall Art to Kenzie’s Be Cafe
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BIG Wall Décor Donates Large Colorful Wall Art to Kenzie’s Be Cafe

Sunshine streams through the floor to ceiling windows, catching the pink decals creating a warm, happy glow over Kenzie’s Be Cafe. Cheerful worker bee clings decorate the windows – a nod to the double entendre. 

Because Kenzie’s Be Cafe is full of dedicated, joyful, hardworking employees. And those employees are people with “unique abilities.” They are valuable members of the community who are often overlooked because of their disabilities – physical or mental. 

Despite their unique abilities, they crave to…

be accepted.

be valued.

be purposeful. 

be important. 

belong. 

Kenzie’s Be Cafe is giving 22 community members in Grand Haven, MI who have unique abilities a place where they can work with purpose as valuable employees. It’s an inclusive coffee shop where everyone feels accepted, important, and belongs.

BIG Wall Décor Donates Large Colorful Wall Art to Kenzie’s Be Cafe - Image #1

How Kenzie’s Be Cafe Started 

Owner of Jumpin’ Java – a local coffee shop downtown Grand Haven, MI, Erin Lyon was approached by Bobbi Sabine in March of 2021. 

Sabine asked if Lyon would be interested in opening a second Jumpin’ Java location in the historical building that Sabine owned. What once was a silent movie theater in the 1920’s and 30’s, The Crescent Theater was ready for a renovation and revamp. 

Lyon told Sabine, “No, I wouldn’t want to open a second Jumpin’ Java. I have a better idea.”

Lyon’s niece, Makenzie Aney was born 12-weeks early with cerebral palsy – a disorder that affects a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. 

Kenzie, as her family lovingly calls her, has had to deal with problems most of us never consider. Minor things like not being able to go into a candy shop with her friends and family because the entrance isn’t wheelchair accessible.

And then bigger worries like, where will I be able to work when I am older?

Frankly – Kenize and most other people with unique abilities want to work and contribute to their community. 

But most communities unintentionally exclude this eager, hardworking group because they need extra training and accommodations in order to work. 

Sabine gave Lyon an opportunity to change that for her small town, Grand Haven. 

Lyon knew of another West Michigan cafe, Brody’s Be Cafe, founded by a mother whose son has Down’s Syndrome.

Because when your child has a disability, you spend a lot of time worrying about their future.

Brody’s Be Cafe was opened so that Brody and other people with unique abilities could have a secure future with employment opportunities

Lyon’s experience owning and running Jumpin’ Java gave her the confidence and knowledge to say to Sabine, “Let’s start another Be Cafe…Kenzie’s Be Cafe, with the building you own.”

Sabine was thrilled and graciously renovated the historical theater to create a bright, open, accessible coffee shop for Kenzie’s Be Cafe.

BIG Wall Décor Donates Large Colorful Wall Art to Kenzie’s Be Cafe - Image #1

How Kenzie’s Be Cafe Is Improving Lives

Erin Lyon knows first hand how difficult finding loyal, hardworking employees can be from her years of owning Jumpin’ Java. 

Lyon explains how small businesses are missing out by overlooking people with unique abilities. 

“[People with unique abilities] want to be put to work. They want to do everything they can and be here and be part of it. And they work really hard. That’s just not easy to find anymore.”

Lyon values how dedicated and excited her 22 employees with unique abilities are everyday when they arrive at the cafe. She explains how training people with unique abilities can be different:

“A big hurdle for disabilities is social. Things like greeting people when they come through the door. Making eye contact. Having the confidence to be like ‘I don’t think I heard what you said, can you please repeat that?’ All of those types of skills we work on. And then for example we have an employee who is really great. She has one dominant hand and then another that doesn’t work well for her. So she uses one side of the machine and has someone else hold the cup while she steam’s milk, for example. We figure out how we can make things work. And our employees are great about giving us ideas we hadn’t thought of.”

Lyon doesn’t just accommodate her employees, she values them as hardworking individuals. Kenzie’s Be Cafe pays their employees $12/ hour plus tips. Their goal is to pay $15/ hour within a year. 

Just because people have unique abilities, doesn’t mean they are worth any less. 

The ultimate goal of Kenzie’s Be Cafe is to serve as a job training site for people with unique abilities. Lyon explains how her goal is to help her employees become “job ready. So when somebody comes in and says ‘I need an employee and I think one of your staff members would be a great fit for us’ we will say, ‘awesome, let’s do this.’”

BIG Wall Décor Donates Large Colorful Wall Art to Kenzie’s Be Cafe - Image #1

The Be Cafe Movement

Brody’s Be Cafe in Ada, MI, Maggie’s Be Cafe in Hudsonville, MI, and now Kenzie’s Be Cafe in Grand Haven, MI have been approached by people all over West Michigan from Holland to Muskegon and Grand Rapids, interesting in opening more Be Cafes. 

While these Be Cafes aren’t franchises, they consider themselves sister businesses.

That’s why Lyon started BErista Inc, the non-profit that runs Kenzie’s Be Cafe.

In the future, Lyon hopes that BErista Inc can apply for grants on behalf of all the Be Cafes and allocate funds. This way, the local Be Cafes aren’t competing against each other for funding sources.

Lyon explains her vision for the future of BErista Inc. 

“I imagine it like the wine trail maps when you are road tripping in Michigan. You would have a map and are stopping at Be Cafes along your trip. These Be Cafes would all be job training sites for people with unique abilities. BErista would have more job training and job facilitating programs…because if someone can’t do loud noises, a coffee shop might not be the best place to work. Everything is loud.”

The Be Cafe movement is improving the future of work for people with unique abilities.

BIG Wall Décor Donates Large Colorful Wall Art to Kenzie’s Be Cafe - Image #1

BIG Wall Décor Donates Large Wall Art to Kenzie’s Be Cafe

Atmosphere is a huge part of why we love coffee shops so much. The smell of freshly ground coffee. The warmth and humidity in the air from the steamed milks. The comfy places to hang out and catch up. And of course, the artwork. 

BIG’s founder, Nick Ford told Lyon’s they could pick out any piece from the website and BIG would donate it to fill the huge blank wall in the hang out area. 

Ford was thrilled when Lyon told him which piece they wanted for their space. He explains, “I couldn’t believe they picked one of my works, Pop Tart Heart. I was so pumped. I thought, that’s so cool. If you know me, you know that I drink a lot of coffee. Honestly, a lot. Now I can see my art every time I go to Kenzie’s Be Cafe.” 

Lyon was drawn to the piece because, “the colors just fit so perfectly. The pink and green tie into the window decal. It’s perfect. Exactly what our space needed!”

Kenzie’s Be Cafe wouldn’t exist without the support and donations of local businesses. Lyon expresses her gratitude for all of the support, “We’re just so thankful. We’re thankful for all of our businesses that shared the love and surrounded us because without them we wouldn’t be here. It’s so amazing. I’m super excited.”

How You Can Help Kenzie’s Be Cafe

Feel inspired by Kenzie’s Be Cafe? 

The most important thing you can do is come to the cafe and get coffee. Engage with the employees, enjoy. Have fun!

Kenzie’s Be Cafe is accepting donations to help purchase more accessible equipment for their employees through their website

They are also in need of volunteers to help train and accommodate the needs of their employees. If you would like to volunteer, please email kenziesbecafe@gmail.com or message Kenzie’s Be Cafe on Facebook.

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