LOWELL, Mich. — You begin each morning with a cup. Maybe a more powerful pick-me-up is a mug like Liam Doyle's, who is all smiles behind the counter of his new café.
“My role is to be happy, joyful and serve customers with happy faces," smiled Liam.
Liam, 20, has been a barista at Brody's Be Café in Ada, which employs people of all abilities, for four years. It's all been leading up to this day.
The day when Liam would see his name on a café of his own.
“It feels like it's home," Liam said.
“Having this café named after me," he said, "I feel so glad. I’m thankful to have this blessing."
“He's unique. He's very outgoing," said Rachel Stadt. "And he really loves people. That's his, his big thing is loving everybody all the time. It makes him special.”
Rachel is the full-time executive director for the Be Cafés. And part-time friend to Liam.
"We're not all the same, but we're really not all that different either," she said. "There's a population of people that are out there that are far more capable of doing what we as society, I think pins on them.”
The coffee shop works as a training program. People of all abilities can work at the café chain to learn employment and life skills.
“I'm so excited to have my own job and make my own money," said Liam.
Liam and Rachel think maybe your morning cup would taste better with an extra shot of purpose.
“Every community has somebody in their community with special needs," said Rachel. "It's a lot easier to rally around something in somebody you know.”
“In Lowell, it will be Liam," she smiled.
With a mug like Liam's, no caffeine needed.
“I hope you all come in and have the best coffee," Liam smiled.
► Liam’s Be Café is hosting their grand opening on Thursday, March 21. Liam says he can’t wait to meet more friends there.
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