Courtesy of Paraquad
This week, Paraquad hosted a café pop-up outside the future restaurant space.
St. Louis nonprofit Paraquad has unveiled plans for a new venture.
The organization, which works to empower people with disabilities and improve their independence, will open Bloom Café in its midtown facilities by the end of the year. The café will be both a fast casual restaurant—serving breakfast and lunch—and a training kitchen.
"I believe in competitive employment for people with disabilities," says Paraquad CEO Aimee Wehmeier. "I believe they have great skills to offer St. Louis, and I'm looking forward to helping improve job placement in the community."
At the café, people can apply for the training program to gain culinary, hospitality, management, and soft skills based on their employment interests. After formal training, they'll move on to a paid, 3-month internship to get hands-on work experience. They can then work with Paraquad's employment specialists to help them find jobs in the community.
"There's a big need in St. Louis for qualified hospitality workers," Wehmeier says. "We're hoping to meet that need."
Bloom is a project that's close to three years in the making. The 6,500-square-foot restaurant and training kitchen will be located at Paraquad headquarters, which overlooks Highway 40 and is located near the Saint Louis Science Center. Bloom will offer breakfast sandwiches and burritos, pastries, and coffee for breakfast. On the lunch side, expect sandwiches, wraps, paninis, soups, fresh salads, and gelato. There will also be space for private parties or small group meetings.
"We want to be a destination in Midtown," Wehmeier says.
She adds Paraquad solicited café name ideas on social media and received plenty of feedback. "We love the symbolism of bloom and the growth and opportunity it represents."
Bloom will be open 7 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
