TRENTON, Mich. – The next time you’re driving through Trenton, there’s a coffee shop worth a stop. Java Junction, operated by the Downriver nonprofit Arkay Inc., employs adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and after a recent social media boost, business is picking up at just the right time.
For employees like Casey Rockefeller, the shop is more than a paycheck.
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“I have worked here for at least almost a year now, and it’s pretty cool,” Rockefeller said.
Rockefeller said the job has helped build friendships and confidence.
“I like the fact that I’m able to work with a lot of people, and I also get to work with some of my friends too,” Rockefeller said. “I’ve gotten to know some of the people here, it’s really good.”
Arkay Inc. provides supported employment services for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, and Java Junction is designed to teach multiple tasks.
Workers learn every aspect of running a restaurant, from prepping food to serving customers.
“They’re not regulated to just cleaning bathrooms or swabbing floors,” Arkay Inc. CEO Ed Steinberger said. “They make the sandwiches, they do everything, they run the cash register.”
But like many small businesses, Java Junction has struggled to keep up with rising costs, especially in an older building that has required unexpected repairs.
“We had a leak in the roof, we had a leak in the door, the gutters needed to be replaced,” Steinberger said. “We have some major electrical work that’s about to be done down in the basement, so we’re spending a lot of money on that.”
Java Junction program manager Leslie Cooke said the shop typically sees only a handful of customers a day.
That changed after social media reviews introduced new customers to the café’s mission.
“It’s been amazing,” Cooke said. “We are not able to keep our display case full with our baked goods. We are running out of lunch meat for our sandwiches. We’ve gone through seven dozen eggs in three days.”
Cooke said the sudden rush has also given employees new opportunities to shine.
“They’re waiting on the customers,” Cooke said. “I’ve seen so many people grow with their socialization skills and be able to look people in the eye — I’ve seen them come so far.”
Cooke said for many employees, the job is the first time they’ve had the opportunity to interact directly with customers.
She said the impact has been life-changing.
“This, for a lot of them, is their first time working in the community where they’re actually in the front of the house. They’re able to be seen, they’re able to interact with customers,” Cooke said. “They’re gaining so much. I’ve seen self-esteem go through the roof.”
Java Junction is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. You can learn more about Arkay Inc. here.