COM M U N I T Y
Not Your Average Joe
“Accept-ional” Norman coffee shop serves food, drinks and fun
N
ot Your Average Joe (NYAJ) not only serves exceptional coffee, but they are also on a mission to create an environment where individuals of all abilities can feel included and successful. Tim Herbel, executive director of NYAJ, had been roasting coffee behind the scenes for years with an organization called Compadres Coffee, producing white label coffee used for churches, universities and restaurants. One blend of their coffee was called Not Your Average Joe, and every time a bag of that blend would sell, they would give a portion of the proceeds to various charities in need.
Photos by: Mark Doescher
When an opportunity became available to open a coffee shop locally, Herbel knew they wanted to create something different. “When we had the opportunity to take over a coffee shop in Midtown, we were like the world just doesn’t need another brand of a coffee shop saying our coffee is better than your coffee or my vibe is better than your vibe,” he said. “But it could use a better cause, something that would bring people together and so NYAJ, the non-profit, was born.”
34 | October 2021
Their goal is to inspire the surrounding community by involving those with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the creation of an array of menu items to meet any craving, from professionally roasted coffee to savory sandwiches and fresh baked goods. “We wanted to chip away at the statistic that 80% of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are unemployed after matriculation from high school,” shared Herbel. Most high school graduates move on into exciting new chapters of life whereas individuals with disabilities are often limited. “We provide opportunities for meaningful, gainful employment and we give them integrative opportunities to work side by side with neurotypical peers much like they do in high school,” Herbel explained. On average, around 50% of NYAJ staff has a form of intellectual or developmental disability, whether it be Down syndrome, Williams syndrome, deafness or blindness, for example.
