Independent Beans cafe providing meaningful employment

A new cafe in Kirwan isn’t only serving up great food and coffee but is also providing meaningful employment and opportunities to people who are often overlooked by the workforce.

A new cafe has opened in Kirwan and while they may look like a normal coffee shop by serving excellent coffee with a big smile, once you go inside you start to learn they are much more than that.

Independent Beans was created as a way to offer employment opportunities for people with disabilities who can often be overlooked by other employers.

The owner, Sarah Tarttelin, opened the cafe a little over two months ago after years of being let down by the minimal opportunities available for her clients at Learn to Live disability services.

Owner independent Beans Cafe Sarah Tarttelin. Picture: Shae Beplate.

“We just saw a gap in the market for inclusive employment and we just thought we need to do something about it.”

Customers only have to peer through the window into the shop front to see the meaningful friendships and experiences that are fostered for employees.

Employee Andrew Zatschler struggled to find his place in the workforce but has since flourished in his new job which has allowed him to boost his independence and develop his hospitality skills.

“I was job seeking here and there was no one willing to hire me but I gave this place a chance and I’m glad I did. It’s been the best experience I’ve had in all of Townsville,” Mr Zatschler said.

'The Milkshake Gremlin' written by Andrew Zatschler at Independant Beans Cafe in Kirwan

“I get to make sure the coffee is just perfect, precisely right every time. I get to make sure the grains are the right size for the dosing and weigh it … It’s brilliant.”

“I love it here.”

The supportive environment of the cafe also allows Mr Zatschler to let his storytelling skills run wild, often taking inspiration from his day to day observations at work.

“This cafe has been a great help brainstorming my stories,” he said.

Owner independent Beans Cafe Sarah Tarttelin. Picture: Shae Beplate.

“One day, I think it was one of my first shifts, there was a farmer who brought his son in and I noticed how his son didn’t want to finish his drink.

“I thought I could tell him some kind of legend that would convince him so I came up with that small little poem called The Milkshake Gremlin.”

Ms Tarttelin’s foundational motto “inclusion in every cup” has curated a workplace that employees look forward to entering every morning and are hesitant to leave in the afternoon. ‘

“People don’t know what we do until they come in, they just think it’s another cafe,” she said.

“While it is good coffee and good food and good humans, I really want them to know why we do what we do … It’s not just another cafe.”

Independent Beans is about to begin their new food menu on Monday and has big plans to open new locations by the end of the year.

Originally published as Independent Beans cafe providing meaningful employment