In Her Words: Natalie Griffin, Changing Lives One Cup at a Time

Former Special Education Teacher Partners with Local Restauranteur to Open a Café Employing Adults with Disabilities in Chicago Suburb

I have two neighbors who grew up with my son Tim, attending the same local schools as he did. Tim and my other two children did the expected – they went to college and then started careers and are now self-sufficient. These two young women did not have the same opportunities as my kids did even though, like my kids, they went to our neighborhood schools, did internships through our local high school district, and went on to junior college. They were excited for their future. They were ready to work. They were prepared. Despite all their preparation and hard work, after school was complete, they and many others like them encountered a hard stop with a firm “No” from employers. Unlike my kids, both these neighbors have Down syndrome.

I started looking at statistics and found that nationwide, only 20% of adults with disabilities are employed. In other words, 80% are told “no” over and over again. I started thinking “Wow, this is a real problem.”

One of these neighbors was the Homecoming Queen. She had a peer group and a social life. She was accepted. She had a place to go every day and a community that supported her. She had interactions and engagement and all those wonderful experiences that we all want as human beings. Then after school was done and everybody went their separate ways, she didn’t have the chance to find a new social setting that her same age peers typically find in the world of work.

Taking Action

As a former special education teacher, I have a heart center for people with disabilities. I really enjoy working with people with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and autism. Although I stepped away from teaching and raised my family, I kept my feet in the field by volunteering at Clearbrook and some other organizations. When I saw what my neighbors were experiencing it got my attention. I started looking at statistics and found that nationwide, only 20% of adults with disabilities are employed. In other words, 80% are told “no” over and over again. I started thinking “Wow, this is a real problem.”

At about the same time, I came across something online about a café called Bitty and Beau's which opened in 2016 in Wilmington, North Carolina, and was employing adults with intellectual disabilities. They were training their employees to run the café and be independent in their jobs. After following them for a while, I flew down to Wilmington and spent two days at Bitty & Beau’s. I met the owners and saw first-hand the good work they were doing. They have two children who have Down syndrome and saw the same bleak future for their children that I had seen playing out in my community. They decided to do something about it by creating opportunities and awareness.

In December of 2018, Amy and I formed our partnership and worked with an attorney to file the paperwork for the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization we named Brewing Opportunities.

Overcoming Obstacles

“How can I do this in Arlington Heights, Illinois?” I asked. My husband, who has always been very supportive said “You don't have a business background. You need to find a businessperson who you can partner with.” He was right. There’s a restaurant and wine bar in downtown Arlington Heights called Tuscan Market that we say is our “Cheers.” Amy Philpott was the owner. We knew her because we were regular customers. I reached out to Amy and told her my idea. She took some time to think about this new venture, but eventually came around to like the idea and our partnership.  She said, “Did you know that my aunt had Down syndrome and her name was Gerry?” That’s how we arrived at the name for our café. In December of 2018, Amy and I formed our partnership and worked with an attorney to file the paperwork for the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization we named Brewing Opportunities.

After that we went to the bank and made our first investment in our new grass roots nonprofit. That same month we did a launch party at Tuscan Market, sharing our idea with the community. We packed the house on that cold winter night. I spoke, Amy spoke, and a young man with Down syndrome spoke about his lack of opportunities and how Gerry's Café could bring something wonderful to his life as well as to our community. (That man is now one of our cashiers at Gerry's Café. His name is Garrett and he does an amazing job.) That was the start. We had high hopes that this was going to be quick. Boy was I wrong!

During the pandemic I cried for days. We were literally ready to break ground and open in 2020.

I became a fundraising guru and we started raising money. Then in January of 2019, Amy's uncle, Ed Wehmer who is the founder and CEO of Wintrust, said that if we could raise $100,000, Wintrust would match it. By August of 2019 – not even a year later – we had $300,000 in the bank. It was Ed’s sister Gerry who had Down syndrome and passed away. We now have a Big Ed sandwich on our menu. It was great support and it really helped get us the momentum and the recognition we needed. Local businesses in Arlington Heights have also been super supportive doing different small fundraisers for us. We set a goal of $500,000 and we got there. We thought 2020 would be our year.

During the pandemic I cried for days. We were literally ready to break ground and open in 2020. When we went into lockdown, we donated coffee to the firehouse and to the hospitals and did what we could to give back to our community. We also used that time to really develop a strong nonprofit organization to run Gerry's Café. I took the opportunity to get a degree in management of nonprofit organizations from IUPUI in Indianapolis. We also created strategy teams and beefed up our board of directors with members who had areas of expertise (attorney, CPA, human resources professional, nonprofit professional, educators, café designer) that we knew we would need to help guide us and make important decisions.

Every single one of our employees is absolutely a shining star and they are so proud of their roles in contributing to the café operations.

Opening Doors

August 26 of 2023 was our grand opening. Our employees handled that opening day like champs. We hired 41 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, ages 22 and older, with some who are in their 40’s and 50’s. We also hired a general manager, an assistant manager, two shift supervisors, and a professional baker, and we have a dedicated group of volunteers. I also worked with a team of volunteers, many of whom are former special education teachers like myself, to create a systematic, six-week job training program. We’re very proud of our employees’ success and feel it’s directly related to the effort we invested in developing and delivering that training prior to our opening. We also offer our employees continuous job training and cross training so they can learn new skills within the café. 

Every single one of our employees is absolutely a shining star and they are so proud of their roles in contributing to the café operations. The loyalty and the commitment to their job is amazing. They don't miss a day. They come in on time. It's a home base for our employees. It's a social setting. It's a place to feel welcomed, to feel celebrated. That was always my thing: not just being included, but also being celebrated for who you are. That's what we have at Gerry's Café. It's truly a place of joy and recognition of the fact that all abilities are worth celebrating.

Amy’s restaurant experience and expertise guide some of the decisions for day-to-day operations, making sure we have what we need in terms of food and equipment and managing our relationships with vendors. In addition to her co-founder responsibilities, Amy works full time as a senior broker with Coldwell Banker Real Estate Group in Arlington Heights. I focus on the marketing and networking, raising awareness of our café and our nonprofit work through the Chamber of Commerce and the Schaumburg Business Association. I’m also still doing fundraising and grant writing. Now we’re working on catering and developing new menu items. I’m always doing research on what people like in cafés. We make everything in house and from scratch at Gerry’s. I love to bake so I’m always trying new recipes.

We work hard, but it never feels like work to me. I absolutely love it. We give our employees joy and love they give it back to us 100 times over. Truly, the joy that we see is our return on investment and it's just huge.

Our café is white and teal blue and really a wonderful space. Everyone says it's so clean, so bright, so cheery. It’s also designed for human connection and accessibility. We purposely don't have a drive thru. We want our customers to come inside the café and have their coffee handed to them in person by someone they might not typically meet in their everyday lives. Also, it was really important to me that we have a hands-free, automatic sliding door. By working with people with cerebral palsy who were in wheelchairs, I learned that although we think a lot of places are accessible, many are not. Some people with disabilities do not have the physical strength to push the big button to open a door, which means they are always dependent on someone else to open the door for them to enter. It gives me such joy to feel that we have a place of true inclusion where everyone can easily enter through our automatic sliding door and everyone is welcome.

Living in The Third Act

Amy and I have never received any pay for any of this and we don't intend to. We both volunteer our time and our treasure and our talent to seeing Gerry's Café succeed. We work hard, but it never feels like work to me. I absolutely love it. We give our employees joy and love they give it back to us 100 times over. Truly, the joy that we see is our return on investment and it's just huge.

Whatever you are doing in your third act, love it.

Jane Fonda says she looks at life in three acts. If you are going to live to 90, your first act is from age 0 to 30. It’s your development. And then 30 to 60 is kind of that meaty part of your life. You're busy doing things in your career or raising your family. And then in your 60s, it’s your curtain call where you’re asking what will you leave behind? What is your legacy? Whatever you are doing in your third act, love it. I turned 61 last year. Gerry’s Café is my third act, and I could not be prouder in this moment that I’m having right now experiencing working with these amazing individuals. You can do whatever your passion is. It doesn't have to be a coffee shop for adults with disabilities. Whatever it is, I encourage you to do it. Please. Go for it and don't look back.

Belle Curve Stories is about women navigating life with grit, grace, and growth. What do grit, grace and growth mean to you?

I did a lot of gritting my teeth. I mean, you have to really want it. You have to dig in. You have to get dirty. You have to really fight. I mean honestly, there were times where I was just like, I don't think I can do this. But you know what? You dig in and you say “Yes, yes, yes. I am going to work harder than I've ever worked before.”

As for grace, I'm humbled. We have had so much support from the community. We were at fundraisers collecting money from people who had to trust from the beginning that we were going to do the right thing. It humbles me to know that people believed in me, and believed that Amy and I could do this, and they trusted us and wanted to support us.

I have grown tremendously. From the very beginning, going down to Bitty and Beau's, thinking “Oh, how fun would this be?” And then realizing, “Wow, this is a lot of work.” I had to learn a lot in a lot of different areas. How good is that for me to grow that way? I'm pretty much an introvert. But I've had to force myself to do these networking things. I take a big breath when I walk in. That is growth. I don't like to do speaking engagements, but I've had to do them. I’m growing way out of my comfort zone, challenging myself but never pulling back. Sometimes it goes better than others. But you know, I do it. I dive in.

What advice would you give to your 25-year-old self if you could?

Never give up. If you don't see it now, just be patient. Really, really be patient. I've had to be patient and I'm not a patient person. I want it and I want it now, and I think our society is saying that too. One of my teaching tactics with my students was to try another way. Okay, we tried it this way. It didn't work. That’s ok. Let's try another way. So, trying another way, never giving up, and being patient.

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Natalie Griffin, age 61, is co-founder of Gerry’s Café in Arlington Heights, IL. She is a former special education teacher and she and her husband Gene are the proud parents of three adult children. Gerry’s Café has been open for 6 months now and additional locations are part of the five-year plan. You can find more information about the café’s mission and opportunities for support by visiting them online at gerryscafe.org or following them on Instagram @gerrys.cafe. If you find yourself in Arlington Heights, please visit Gerry’s Café at 1802 N Arlington Heights Rd.