Café Joyeux is the first chain of café-restaurants to employ and train people with mental or cognitive disabilities who live amongst us in the heart of our communities.
Difference is a strength!
The idea was born of a simple truth – in France, 700,000 people are living with autism and 65,000 have Down’s syndrome. These people are two to three times more likely to be unemployed than the rest of the population. Only 0.5% of people with a mental disability find employment in the general economy. Café Joyeux aims to make disabled people visible, make it possible for them to meet others in ordinary situations and offer ever more job opportunities to those excluded from the world of work.
The adventure began in 2017 in Rennes, Brittany, with the opening of the first participating restaurant which trained and employed people with mostly either Down’s syndrome or autism.
This joyful establishment aimed to build a profitable business model and make being different a strength. The “joyful team members”, employed on permanent contracts, undergo training via traineeships conducted by the Centre de Formation d’Apprentis Joyeux, obtaining a hospitality diploma at the end of the course which is recognized by the State.
After Rennes, 4 cafés opened in Paris (Opéra, Champs Elysées, Pont Cardinet, Olympia), then Bordeaux, Lyon, Tours and Parly 2. Montpellier will see the adventure continue in 2022.
Urbasolar: a business with commitment
“We are committed to working with this beautiful project which enables a dozen people with mental or cognitive disabilities to find permanent employment, because we recognize ourselves in the values that the project espouses.”, says Stéphanie Andrieu, co-founder and General Manager of the group.
By producing solar energy, Urbasolar is working every day to protect the planet and fight against climate change. This means that the group also has a responsibility to the people it employs and its role is to be a local business which creates sustainable employment in the regions where it has a presence.
“In this project, we saw the opportunity to fulfill our duty as a committed business, one which helps grow local communities and regions, creates employment, drives the economy and brings together men and women, with or without disabilities, around a business project.”, added Arnaud Mine, co-founder and Group CEO.
Become a joyful donor
Each of us can support this project by going to this address: https://cafe-joyeux.assoconnect.com/billetterie/offre/141508-u-ouverture-d-un-nouveau-cafe-joyeux-a-montpellier
You can also order your coffee via this website: https://www.cafejoyeux.com/fr/
The coffee recipes have been created by a winner of the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France award. The coffee is then roasted and prepared in France.
All profits from Café Joyeux and its products are used to fund jobs for people with mental and cognitive disabilities.
Photo credit: ©Guillaume de Tapol – Café Joyeux – Bordeaux