DEPARTMENTS

Angie Hudson began losing her eyesight as an undergraduate at UNC–Chapel Hill due to macular degeneration. By the time she was 21, she was declared legally blind. Having grown up with sight, Hudson only became aware as an adult of the many difficulties inherent in living with a disability.

Then 25 years later, inspired by Bitty & Beau’s Coffee in Wilmington, Hudson confided in her friend Tamara Lapsley that she wanted to open a coffee shop that would employ disabled people.

A speech pathologist for many years, Lapsley also had ideas about accommodating workplaces to the needs of the disabled. She served on the communications team for Austin Harrell, a young man who had suffered a debilitating stroke at age 18, and she believed there was potential to extend the methodology she had learned while working with Harrell to others’ work experiences.

Lapsley’s conversation with Hudson inspired Esteamed Coffee, which opened this past December—two-plus years of planning and effort later—on Academy Street in Cary. The shop hires employees with mental, physical and communicative disabilities, and it accommodates their needs in order to maximize their work experiences. The shop provides employees with jobs and training to help them find other employment later on. “Some employees will be here long-term,” Hudson says. “For others, we see this as kind of a stepping stone … It would make us so thrilled to see our employees move on to other, more challenging positions for them and to reach their potential.”

More than 50 people applied for 18 positions when Esteamed Coffee first announced it was hiring. Hudson and Lapsley chose employees based on their willingness to push their boundaries, their interest in communicating with the public, and the staff’s ability to accommodate their needs.

When employees are hired, Hudson and Lapsley schedule them based on how they can best balance out the employees’ abilities and maximize their exposure to the tasks they want to practice. Austin Harrell is working on building communication skills and can manage the cash register, so he works as a cashier. Isaac Jacobs’ skills complement Harrell’s, but he cannot yet operate the cash register. Since he excels at working as a cold-drink barista, he was given that job. Balancing employee skills helps the business succeed, both for customers and staff. Employees are encouraged to cross-train as their skills grow so they become proficient in different tasks.

Esteamed Coffee focuses on creating jobs that support each staff member’s individual needs. This process often involves bringing in professionals—occupational therapists, for example—from outside the business to help employees build particular skills. Staff and volunteers are available to offer assistance as needed with day-to-day work. “If we forget the orders, we get help,” Jacobs says. Harrell’s work has already proven beneficial. “I’m improving every day,” he says. “I’ve been regaining my brain for speaking, reading, writing and listening. So it has helped a lot.”

Hudson and Lapsley have faced challenges along the way—most notably, deciding whether to open during the COVID-19 pandemic or wait until after vaccine availability has increased foot traffic on Academy Street. “Opening a new business under any circumstances is hard enough,” Hudson says. “When you throw in two female entrepreneurs who have never done this and who are opening a coffee shop employing people with disabilities during a pandemic, you’ve got a really big task.”

The women decided to go ahead with their plan to open as expected, with proper precautions in place. So far, they are on solid ground. “We have really found that the community and our supporters have met us at every step of the way,” Hudson says.

In many ways, Esteamed Coffee functions like an ordinary coffee shop. It offers a strong selection of coffee drinks and seasonal beverages, free Wi-Fi, and an outdoor space for people with pets. But some aspects of the experience are unique. The shop showcases the work of a new disabled artist every month, and volunteers help greet and direct customers. Most customers know the process may take a little longer at Esteamed Coffee than at a traditional coffee shop. “Come in with an open mind to that and relax into the pace,” Lapsley suggests. “If you’re OK with that, you’ll have a wonderful time.”

In showing the Triangle community what its employees can contribute, Esteamed Coffee joins a larger cultural movement to bring people with disabilities into the workforce. Disabled people experience an unemployment rate that exceeds 70%, Lapsley notes, even though many of them have much to offer employers.

Oz Gamboa, a hot-drink barista at Esteamed Coffee, is a case in point. She applied to work at the shop in part because she loves coffee and tea. Her autism means that she takes her interests very seriously and, as a result, she has gained a strong knowledge base for preparing hot drinks. Gamboa has never had a job before, and working at Esteamed Coffee is helping her manage a fast-paced work environment that sometimes overstimulates her. She has many professional ambitions. “One of my goals is to work my way up to learn every drink in every position and become certified as a shift manager, and then get coffee master certification,” she says. She would also like to work in a bubble tea shop and compare the experiences of working with different kinds of drinks. Thanks to the training Esteamed Coffee is providing her, Gamboa may eventually be able to realize that goal, creating space for someone new to enter her spot in the workforce.

Esteamed Coffee is open 7:30 a.m.–3 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Learn more about the coffee shop at esteamedcoffee.com.

Jerry Miller

BY CHERYL CAPALDO TRAYLOR

HISTORICAL PHOTOS COURTESY OF: FRIENDS OF THE PAGE-WALKER HOTEL, TOWN OF CARY, PERSONAL FAMILY ARCHIVES AND ONLINE SOURCES

Aspecial year for Cary, 2021 marks its 150th year as an incorporated town. While Cary’s past achievements have helped make it the thriving town it is today, much of what happened during Cary’s early years gave it a reputation as “the place in-between.”

An ideal stopover for people traveling through the state—especially by train—Cary has welcomed former governors and other prominent figures on their way to and from Raleigh. That’s not the big story, though. Cary boasts a rich history all its own, with much to celebrate during this sesquicentennial year. “These stories show the spirit of the place we live in,” says Katherine Loflin, a Cary resident and creator of the upcoming original stage production, “The Story of Cary.” Scheduled for fall 2021, the play will highlight enjoyable and endearing tales from Cary’s past. And since no town develops without challenge, the play also includes stories involving racism, slavery, economic downturn, war and poverty.

You may be familiar with iconic Cary locations such as the Page-Walker Arts and History Center, The Cary Theater and the Cary Arts Center. But there are numerous lesser-known historic people and places that have contributed to a much broader picture of Cary’s fascinating history and culture. Loflin says her background in social work has given her an understanding of the power of listening to stories. Her global consulting practice, The City Doctor, helps towns and cities identify, develop and design communities people want to live in. She believes sharing the history of a community’s important places helps connect people to their city or town, giving them a sense of loyalty and belonging. This is what she hopes “The Story of Cary” will accomplish.