It will always be a “glass half full” outlook at Brightside Cafe.
The new coffee shop coming to Buford this summer aims to be a place of belonging and community, “where drinks and friends make the perfect blend.” Brightside Cafe is hiring people of different abilities, providing them with employment and the opportunity to connect with the community.
The cafe has been a yearslong dream for owners Jennifer Elinburg and Carrie Walton. Elinburg, a special education teacher, owns a sports training facility in Sugar Hill. Walton, whose husband is a coach at the facility, has always wanted to open a coffee shop.
Originally, they planned to open the cafe inside the gym, but it never quite came to fruition. Then they found the perfect spot in Buford at Tannery Row.
“Immediately we knew this was the spot,” Walton said of the shop’s location at 554 W. Main Street.
The idea was to hire adults 22 years old and up, providing employment for those who are out of school, but they have also hired two high school students so far.
Every shift will have four people: three employees (a cashier, a drink maker, and a caller/server) along with a mentor. Because different employees might have different requirements and needs, the owners are tinkering with shifts to craft a schedule that works for everyone. For example, some employees may only be able to work two hours a day, with others able to work up to 20 hours a week. They want to give as many people as possible the opportunity to earn wages.
It’s like fitting puzzle pieces together, but it’s worth it to handle with care.
“If we’re gonna do this, we want it to be done in a way that’s productive and right so we don’t have to revamp,” Elinburg said. “There’s gonna be things we’re gonna learn along the way that we didn’t think of, but we also don’t want to rush into it and then go, ‘Ooh, this is not what we thought it is.'”
There’s been no shortage of interest. After getting the word out to local special-needs groups, as well as through Elinburg’s connections as a teacher, they’ve had an abundance of applicants.
The owners have already seen the impact on future employees. When conducting a recent group interview with three applicants outside the future cafe space, Elinburg and Walton could tell one applicant seemed a little shy. When they went into the space, she instantly came out of her shell.
“She felt at home. All of a sudden, her whole personality opened up,” Elinburg said.
Another applicant they hired, Ben, is already getting excited about what he can bring to the cafe.
“He likes country music, and he asked, ‘Are you gonna play music? Could I wear my cowboy hat? I could be the Brightside cowboy.’ I said, ‘That’s so cool,'” Elinburg said.
The owners presented him with a cowboy hat upon his hiring, captured in one of the videos posted on their Instagram. They make the process celebratory, presenting employees with signs, balloons and their apron to mark the milestone of their hiring.
The menu at Brightside Cafe will include classic coffee drinks like lattes, americanos and iced coffee, as well as hot chocolate and smoothies. They are considering having a smoothie of the week or month as a way to highlight a particular employee.
No cooking will be done in-house, but they will be able to warm things up for customers wanting a pastry or snack with their beverage. The shop is partnering with Special Kneads and Treats, a nonprofit bakery in Lawrenceville, for the baked goods.
In addition to indoor seating, the cafe will have a patio built brick by brick – literally. To raise funds and get the community involved, they are selling bricks for either $50 or $100. (The upper level offers perks like a 5 percent lifetime discount at Brightside Cafe.) Buyers can get their name, their family’s name, or anything they want engraved on a brick that will be used to build the patio.
“It’s a way for the community to come together to support a good mission,” Elinburg said.
Currently in the permitting process, Brightside Cafe is expected to open this July, or August at the latest.
“We’re praying it moves smoothly,” Elinburg said. “The amount of hype and people who are waiting for it to open, including our new employees we’ve hired… they’re ready to go.”
There’s a lot that goes into opening a cafe: finding and building out a space, developing a menu, finding suppliers, hiring a staff. For Elinburg and Walton, remembering their mission helps them face any challenges that may come their way.
“Are times gonna come when they’re tough? Absolutely. Are we gonna have times where we’re drained? Absolutely,” Elinburg said. “But the fact that we are changing their lives and they’re more so changing the lives of others and the lives in our community, it’s worth whatever we have to deal with.”
Follow @brightsidecafebuford on Instagram for updates.
