To be inclusive is one thing, but to center your whole business around inclusivity is another thing entirely. And, that’s exactly what Mackenzie Edinger did with Inclusion Coffee.
Inclusion Coffee, challenges societal norms when it comes to neurodiverse individuals and their roles in communities and the workforce at large.
Mackenzie received her undergraduate degree in Special Education and Early Childhood Education and a Master’s in Educational Leadership. While she had hoped to become a special education director one day, life had other plans.
She opened Inclusion Coffee in March 2022 with a mission to, “provide a fun yet challenging environment for neurodiverse individuals. Through working at the shop, employees gain insight and skills in performing such tasks as cooking, drink making, money handling, customer service and more.”
Their menu features everything from acai bowls, french toast sticks, and breakfast burritos to sandwiches, salads, paninis and flatbreads (yum!). On the drink side of things, they offer a full line of coffee and non-coffee beverages. So, whether you want an americano or a fresh squeezed lemonade, you can find it at Inclusion.
The hands on experience nuerodiverse individuals receive while working at the coffee shop helps build confidence and support the development of life skills. When asked what her favorite part about what she does, Mackenzie responded:
“To see the “lightbulbs” go off in their head when they do something new, something for the first time independently, make something for the first time on their own, or get excited about something, etc. It is so fun meeting our employees where they are at, and doing our best to individualize things to them.“
The Lake Country area has been extremely supportive of Mackenzie’s mission. She knew when opening up Inclusion Coffee that it would be a good fit in the community:
“There was nothing like that in the area. I knew a handful of individuals that would have benefitted from something like this. A coffee shop isn’t everyone’s “cup of tea” but a place where they feel included and embraced and trained to work is something everyone could benefit from. I grew up in the area, so I knew the community of people around and how they support the community already, so I hoped they would do the same for us.”
As a young, woman-owned business, the community has also given her extra support to ensure her amazing missions succeeds! When their road closed this summer and they were struggling to get people in the door, they made a post saying ‘when you have time, please come see us’ and they were ‘flooded with people’. “We still had people coming in to check on us to make sure we are okay,” Mackenzie said.
When asked what people can expect when going to Inclusion Coffee, she said:
“To leave with a smile. We pride ourselves on great food and drink and great customer service. Every cup and bag has a handwritten note to guarantee you have a great day.”
When they’re not behind the counter working, Mackenzie and her team are enjoying outings with eachother.
“My favorite stories are the things we get to do with our staff – our outings (Brewer Game, Dockhounds Game, Bucks Game, girls/ guys nights, game nights, plays, tie dye, pizza parties, holiday parties, now roasting our own coffee, etc). It is all so fun in their own ways, and we enjoy all of our time together.”
From the personal touches like handwritten notes to the intention behind every cup, Inclusion is changing the way you think about your morning coffee. So, if you’re looking to get out of the city this weekend, why not take a trip to Hartand and grab a coffee and breakfast sandwich from Inclusion?