Cakeable opens its first nonprofit cafe in Uptown

Cakeable , a nonprofit workforce development program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, has opened a cafe in Uptown.

Why it matters: Cakeable Cafe is a brick-and-mortar extension of Cakeable's mission to create inclusive job environments through vocational training for people with disabilities.

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Flashback: John and Renee Ratcliffe, a husband-and-wife team, launched the nonprofit in Charlotte in 2019.

What to expect: A full espresso bar, tea and plenty of baked goods, like brownies, cookies and seasonal scones made by Cakeable students.

• The cafe soft opened for training earlier this month and will celebrate its grand opening on April 20.

The 1200-square-foot cafe can seat around 14 customers inside with a few additional outdoor tables. Photo: McKenzie Rankin/Axios

How it works: Cakeable offers vocational training to individuals through two programs: Cakeable Bakery, inside Oakhurst's Sweet Spot Studio , and now through the Cakeable Cafe.

• The bakery and cafe training programs are four- to six-month paid internships that help students gain hard and soft job skills. For example, the baked goods at the cafe are made by students in the bakery program.
• Upon graduation, Cakeable helps with external job placement for food service and hospitality roles in the area.
• Companies with Cakeable grads include Poppyseed Bagels, Harris Teeter Atrium Health and Compass Group, a food service provider.

Zoom out: There are a few businesses in Charlotte with a mission similar to Cakeable, like South End coffee shop Bitty and Beau's and Haerfest Coffee , a local roasting company that supplies the coffee for Cakeable Cafe.

• Cakeable's mission, however, is to give employees the job skills needed to work at other companies.

What they're saying: "Cakeable Cafe will act as an extension of the work we are already doing at Cakeable by creating an opportunity for our team to develop new skills such as customer service and sales transactions to better prepare them for other jobs and roles across the city," Renee Ratcliffe said.

Employees at the cafe do a little bit of everything — from barista tasks to working the register. Photo: McKenzie Rankin/Axios

Between the lines: The cafe is guaranteed for the next five years through a partnership with Bank of America (which owns the building) and with investors including Compass Group.

• It's also supported by Mecklenburg County with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

What's next: Renee says the eventual plan is for Cakeable to have its own production kitchen.

If you go: Find Cakeable Cafe inside the Bank of America building at 401 North Tryon St, Suite 106 , in the same building as Crunch Bistro.

• The cafe is open 7am-4pm Monday-Friday and 8am-noon on Saturday.
• Parking is validated for two hours in the 401 North Tryon garage.