AUSTIN — Empowered Café officially opened on Mother's Day in the Mueller development in North Central Austin, employing roughly eight to ten staff members with Down syndrome or other neurodiverse conditions. The café, founded by Nicholas Carlin, serves coffee, breakfast and lunch items daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The reopening earlier this month revives a concept that originally launched in 2018 under the name Empowered Coffee. The original location closed less than a year after its 2018 launch because of financial challenges. Food options at the café include pastries and sandwiches from Teal House Coffee & Bakery and juices from JuiceLand.

"So far the response has been wonderful. It was a great first day, very busy, lots of people coming in and very excited," Carlin said of the opening day.

Carlin said his motivation for the business is rooted in his family. "My son is 18 and when he was born, he sort of changed the way I looked at things and life in general and prioritizing what is most important. People with Down syndrome are just generally caring, wonderful people. I think they deserve to be out in the open," he said.

Describing the staff at work, he said the employees take pride in their craft. "It's really beautiful. They're just so happy when they succeed in making a good coffee. They come up to me with a big smile and they're so happy that they're doing the work and that they can share it," he said.

He said he hoped customers would take away a broader lesson from visiting the café. "I hope that they learn that everyone deserves a chance to be included and that everyone can do meaningful things in their lives. With a little bit of patience, they're going to get a great coffee and a nice experience," he said.