Coffee With Purpose

Recently, my sister and I took a weekend trip to Savannah, Georgia for the weekend. It was a much needed getaway with some even MORE needed sister time, shopping time, and of course, after a night of cocktails, coffee time!

We walked around the downtown streets, stopping in at cute souvenir shops here and there, and decided to grab more coffee. We happened upon the cutest coffee shop called Bitty and Beau’s. What struck me first was the shirt and coffee mug that said “Radically Inclusive”, and I thought “oh great, here we go again with some place of business trying to make a political statement”. I know, I know – judgmental me showed her ugly head. But it seems everywhere I turn lately, there is a statement to be made from someone who feels entitled to do so and it can get exhausting.

But this time was different; almost immediately after seeing the shirt and coffee mug I noticed a map on the wall. It had little pins to mark where the customers who visited the coffee shop were from. There were pictures hung all over the wall, beside the map and as I walked around, looking at them, I noticed every single picture was of a person with special needs.

This made me stop and I felt my heart being tugged because when I was in college, I worked with an agency that provided private care for people with special needs and I loved my time with those precious kids. I saw pictures of people with Down Syndrome, which also tugged at my heart because, when I was home schooled, many years ago, I had a friend with Down Syndrome. She and her mom used to go to Taco Bell with my mom, sister and me about once a week after a home school activity and I remember her always being so happy!

I began looking around the coffee shop and noticed every employee had developmental disabilities. I began talking with the manager and asking more questions and found out the owner has two children with Down Syndrome, and their names are Bitty and Beau! The family lives in Wilmington, NC where my sister lives! Only then did the merchandise slogans hit me – and I knew I wanted to know more. I knew I had to write a blog, not only about their delicious coffee and other goodies, but about their mission and vision. They had several locations open around the country at the time we were in Savannah, but they are slated to open a lot more soon! Please visit their website and if there is a Bitty and Beau’s coffee near you, support their business! Here are a couple examples of my favorites items for sale!

It really IS more than just a cup of coffee, and I couldn’t love it more if I tried!

~XO