Beyond the bean at Grande Cafe: Medina Creative Housing shop offers specials for National Coffee Day

MEDINA — Residents in and around Medina will have the opportunity today to celebrate National Coffee Day at a local coffee shop that is more than a place to get a cup of joe. Grande Cafe, located at 4080 Creative Living Way, employs people with developmental disabilities as part of Medina Creative Housing and sports its own in-house roastery. The coffee shop is running several specials and events as part of the day. These offers include a free coffee with a $3 purchase, a 96-ounce to-go carafe for $10.99 (normally $17.99) with the purchase of six pastries and two coffee tastings and dessert pairings from 8-11 a.m. and 5-7:30 p.m. Barb Kelly, marketing director for Medina Creative Housing, said she is hopeful the event will kickstart the café, which was shut down due to COVID-19 from March 24 to June 1. During that time, the café operated with only a limited drive-thru use and served as a place to make food to be delivered to its employees. "We've got a pretty full slate (that day)," Kelly said. "We're hoping (for a big turnout). Once people discover our coffee, they usually like it quite a bit." Behind that coffee is a crew of 12 to 14 people with developmental disabilities, using the job as an opportunity to learn work, social and emotional skills in a real-world setting. The employees work under supervisors who have been trained through the Department of Developmental Disabilities to be able to efficiently work with the employees. "In this supportive environment, we focus on not only great food but also developing our employees skills, building confidence and producing success," the café's website reads. Before any coffee gets poured or food gets served, there are several other training programs in place behind the scenes. Employees bake the pastries seen in the front case of the store every day. About a half-mile down the road is Medina Creative Produce, a hydroponic greenhouse where the café gets all its lettuce, spinach and kale to make soups, salads and wraps. Having facilities such as the roastery and the greenhouse, and providing the freshness they produce, is a big source of pride for the café, Kelly said. This greenhouse not only provides the café with fresh produce, but employees with a different outlet for experience and learning should the café, or any of the several other work-program options offered by Medina Creative Housing, not be a good fit. Executive Director Dianne DePasquale-Hagerty said the organization operates under a simple idea when it comes to working with people of all ages with developmental disabilities: "What are their abilities and what do they want to do?" For Grande Café employee Kelly Foote, her abilities and what she wants to do have matched up perfectly since she began at the café when it opened October 2019. Before coming to the Grande Café, Foote worked at one of Medina Creative Housing's satellite cafés, called Creative Cafés. Prior to that, she never had any customer service experience. "(It's been) amazing," Foote said. "(I love to) have fun, have a great time and welcome the customers when they come through the door. (Making) coffee, that's my (best) skill, and making wraps is another skill. Tracy (my supervisor) taught me to take things one step at a time so I can understand what she's trying to tell me." Kelly said as excited as the employees get when they master a new skill or do something they have never done before, that excitement is very mutual among supervisors, other employees and other members of Medina Creative Housing. "We provide an opportunity to learn about a specific work space and do an hour of training every day on life skills," Kelly said. "It's not only social, it's the sense of pride they get when they make a really good espresso drink or sandwich. It's a lot of pride for them." Contact reporter Jack Kopanski at (330) 721-4063 or jkopanski@medina-gazette.com.