New Coffee Shop Employing Individuals With Disabilities Hosts Grand Opening In Broken Arrow

The grand opening for a coffee shop employing people specifically with disabilities will take place Tuesday morning in Broken Arrow. Organizers are hopeful more locations will open across the Tulsa metro.

"Not Your Average Joe's" serves coffee out of the Enderson Orthodontics building near Elm and West Mission Street. Organizers say people with disabilities are largely unemployed across the country, so the focus of the non-profit business is to provide opportunities for this demographic.

10 employees are working at the coffee shop, six of whom are intellectually disabled.

Maggie Bond manages the store. Her brother, Tyler, has Asperger's and this opportunity has helped him come out of his shell and interact with customers.

"The coolest thing for me being his sister is seeing him be the fullest version of himself," said Maggie.

The coffee shop is open most days from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.