New Café Officially Opens At Darien Library

DARIEN, CT — A grand opening celebration for The Café at Darien Library, a new coffee and food stand that will provide employment opportunities for adults with disabilities, was held Wednesday morning at the library.

The new café, which will employ up to 15 workers, is the result of a partnership between the library and Abilis, a non-profit organization that provides services and supports for individuals with special needs and their families.

First Selectman Monica McNally, who was on hand for the grand opening event, noted Abilis will manage and staff the café, which will feature grab-and-go breakfast and lunch sandwiches provided by local eateries and other delicious menu items.

"Having a cafeteria back in the library, I think, is a terrific thing," McNally said. "A library is really a community location. A lot of people come here, a lot of people come when schools are closed, a lot of people come from out of town, so it really draws a great audience and this really a terrific addition to it."

Library Marketer Kristen Hinz agreed with McNally's sentiments and noted having a café means more members of the community can come into the library, take their time and enjoy a cup of coffee or a snack while they work.

"I think it just helps our community come together and use the library a little bit more, which is awesome for us," Hinz said to Patch. "On a bigger scale, having a café with Abilis here, having their staff and their clients come and be more visible and work with people, it was really meaningful to us and helps us get in touch with that community a little bit more, which is awesome."

According to an accompanying news release, the café is staffed by Abilis program participants with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have gone through the organization's competitive employment job training program.

Heather Brown, a professional food service manager with more than 30 years of experience working in restaurant and catering businesses, will oversee the café for Abilis.

This new venture dovetails with the organization's expansion in Darien with several other Abilis programs, including housing and community integration.

Abilis CEO Amy Montimurro said the organization's mission has been, and continues to be, to ensure equity, opportunities and a meaningful life for community members.

"The expansion of our business has provided training and jobs for people of all abilities," Montimurro said, "promoting their skills and helping each person to develop confidence and self-worth."

She thanked also Kiera Parrott, director of the Darien Library, and her team for their support and for "embracing Abilis as part of the library community." She also thanked The Darien Foundation, a local nonprofit that awards grants for technology and capital initiatives that promote and strengthen the Darien community.

The foundation provided Abilis with a $65,838 grant, a large portion of which was used to fund the equipment, accessible appliances and point-of-sale technology that will facilitate operations for the Abilis staff working at the café, according to a news release.

"It truly takes a village to achieve our goals," Montimurro said. "We are so happy to be in Darien. The community has been so welcoming to all of our initiatives."

Ward Glassmeyer, chairman of the foundation's board of directors, and Sarah Woodberry, the foundation's executive director, both expressed gratitude toward the library and Abilis teams, with Woodberry noting the café will be a wonderful community spot for residents to engage with each other after being kept inside for so long due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

"We're just thrilled," Woodberry said, "to have been a part and played a role in bringing Abilis services to Darien...not only providing opportunity for these wonderful people who will be working at the café, but also an opportunity for them to engage in the community."

McNally noted all of the programs Abilis runs in town offer valuable opportunities for the people the organization supports.

"They provide the opportunities to acquire life skills, to gain work skills," McNally said, "the opportunity to improve self-esteem, but most importantly the opportunity to lead a productive and independent life in our community, and I can't be more sincere when I say I am so thrilled that all of these have come together."

Hinz said it was nice to see so many people come out and support the opening of the café, especially in light of the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

"Seeing people get excited for something at the library is really meaningful to us," Hinz said. "The library is a place where you can be comfortable and relax. We have a lot of spaces for people to work and even greater people who are here to help you with finding a new book or finding a new working space or something like that."

The Café at Darien Library is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., for grab-and-go food and drink items, online ordering through the café website or in-person ordering and dining.

Coffee and food items are supplied by local purveyors, including Shearwater Organic Coffee Roasters, Michael Joseph's Fine Foods, Palmer's Market and Upper Crust Bagel & Café.