No Limits Cafe Rises Above COVID-19
BY JOANNE COLELLA
TheJournalNJ.com | JUNE 2020 27
No Limits Cafe in Middletown is a place whose mission is to prove
that anyone – including individuals with intellectual disabilities
– is unstoppable. And while the COVID-19 pandemic may have
abruptly paused operations at the popular café, its owners, workers and
supporters clearly remain driven to reopen it once there are no limits
imposed by the quarantine.
No Limits Cafe was founded by Stephanie and Mark Cartier, whose
adult daughter, Katie, has Down syndrome. The family is mindful of the
fact that students with special needs can remain in the school system
until the age of 21, after which they often face limited options for meaningful
employment. Inspired by the news story that they saw about a
Texas restaurant staffed by individuals with special needs, the Cartiers
did their research, received guidance and opened a restaurant of their
own near their home in New Jersey.
Their vision of creating a business where most of the workers are
adults with intellectual disabilities immediately garnered support from
throughout the community and ignited an overwhelming response.
Information about No Limits Cafe soon began appearing everywhere
in local, regional, statewide and national news in magazines, newspapers,
radio and television. By February, after months of dedicated training,
the lovely, carefully designed café was busily in the midst of its
soft opening and had become a local favorite. There was a staff of 34
employees with intellectual disabilities, plus a manager and two chefs,
every one of whom was being paid minimum wage and working full
shifts. No tips are accepted, but patrons are invited to leave donations
as they leave to support the café and its mission. Before opening its
doors each morning, enthusiastic staff members would start their day
together by doing a celebratory dance and then proceed to happily and
skillfully serve their guests – some of whom were already becoming
regulars. There were plans to expand the menu and the café hours.
And then the coronavirus arrived, enforcing limits in ways that no
one could have ever expected.
On March 14, the Cartiers – like so many other businesses – made
interest of keeping their employees, volunteers and customers safe.
Two weeks later, they shared a message on their website, explaining
that they were sadly forced to lay off their amazing staff members, who
unfortunately were ineligible for unemployment because they had not
yet worked the required minimum length of time – and who continued
to send loving messages to the Cartiers, saying how much they missed
being able to work and asking when they could return.
Always mindful of others in the community and their motto to “Eat
Well, Do Good,” the owners of No Limits Cafe donated all of their perishable
food items to Lunch Break in Red Bank so that they could be used for
other families in need. Whenever possible, they would don masks, create
signs and make drive-by visits to the homes of their beloved employees,
dropping off packages with the homemade chocolate bread pudding that
was a favorite item on the café menu. And they continually updated their
website with posts expressing their gratitude to all the many people who
had already shown such kindness in supporting the business and helping
to establish the restaurant.
The celebratory spirit of No Limits Cafe could not be stunted by
COVID-19, either. As the world became more accustomed to living in a
as both a fundraiser and an opportunity to reconnect their staff members
and supporters. On April 25, they presented “Live from No Limits Cafe
– It’s Saturday Night!” The evening included live musical entertainment
by the talented Quincy Mumford, a funny routine by the comedian Mike
Reisman, touching conversations with some of the café employees, and
a spirited virtual dance party by all the participants – which included an
impressive audience of more than 400 families who were encouraged
to come dressed for the occasion and enjoy some cocktails from home.
Mark, Stephanie and Katie served as the eloquent masters of ceremony,
broadcasting from No Limits Cafe. Throughout the evening, they also held
three prize drawings, randomly choosing 15 winners from the names of
those who had registered for the online event. Gracious as always in their
efforts to continue giving back to those who had assisted them, the Cartiers
purchased generous gift cards from local restaurants and shops as
prizes, allowing those businesses to receive support after being impacted
by COVID. Vendor partners for the evening were Antoinette Boulangerie,
The Cheese Cave, and Nicholas Wines of Restaurant Nicholas, who provided
French pastries, cheese platters, and wines to event supporters and
donated a percentage of their sales to No Limits Cafe.
Those who registered for the online celebration paid a suggested
minimum donation of $30 for each household, with all proceeds going
to the café. During the evening, the Cartiers also explained that $77 is
the amount paid for one day’s salary for one café employee. They set a
goal of raising $7,700 during the webcast through text donations. Within
minutes, the contributions began pouring in, and by the time everyone
said their goodnights, the family was crying tears of joy. They had raised
more than $45,000. If you missed the live stream, or if you’d like to view
it again, you can see “Live from No Limits Cafe – It’s Saturday Night!” by
clicking the link on No Limits Cafe’s website.
Throughout it all, the Cartiers and the rest of their café community
have remained hopeful while planning a strategic reopening as soon as
possible. As of mid-May, they were working toward being able to offer
curbside pick-up within a few weeks. For No Limits Cafe, there is sure to be
additional time and cost required because of the staff retraining that will
with an operating budget that must cover salaries, food, utilities and other
expenses, donations are gratefully accepted and can be made online at
NoLimitsCafe.org.
In the days and weeks to come, remember to watch the No Limits
Café website, emails and Facebook page for updates on their eagerly
awaited reopening. And don’t forget to dance!
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