Hugs Cafe provides valuable workforce skills to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Toyota supports the nonprofit organization with funding for training programs and operations, and through employee volunteer engagement.
It’s virtually impossible to walk into a Hugs Cafe in a bad mood. Almost instantly after stepping through the front door, guests are greeted enthusiastically by an employee — setting the tone for an unforgettable dining experience. What makes the McKinney and Dallas locations stand out from nearly every other restaurant in North Texas is their employment of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), each performing essential duties, from back-of-house roles to customer service.
The idea for Hugs Cafe began simply: in a dream.
“Our founder, Ruth Thompson, actually had a dream to start Hugs Cafe,” says Jennifer Buschman, development manager for Hugs Cafe Inc. “She dreamt about it again the next night and knew she couldn’t ignore the idea.”
What started as a modest concept in 2012 has grown into a multifaceted nonprofit social enterprise. Thompson previously worked with adults with IDD in Parker, Colorado, at New Day In-Home and Respite Care, an experience that solidified her passion for helping this often-overlooked population not only succeed but thrive.
Today, the organization offers four primary programs: Hugs Cafe, Hugs Training Academy, Hugs Greenhouse and Hugs Home Cooking.
The first Hugs Cafe opened in McKinney in 2015 as a brick-and-mortar, scratch-made restaurant where people with IDD can share their talents and skills directly with the community. Customers order at the counter, choosing from favorites such as breakfast burritos and classic morning plates, or Reuben and Monte Cristo sandwiches at lunch. Guests also gravitate toward the pastries, especially the signature Wedding Cake Cookie.
Hugs Cafe also provides catering services, including boxed lunches, party trays and desserts.
On Dec. 8, 2025, the organization opened its second location on Live Oak Street, east of downtown Dallas and north of Deep Ellum. That’s where 21-year-old Xavier Melara-Garcia has worked since opening day.
“I feel comfortable working here. I cook stuff and help people out who need help,” he says. “I make sandwiches and burritos."
Xavier Melara-Garcia has worked at the Hugs Cafe on Live Oak Street since the location opened late last year. He works in the back of the restaurant making sandwiches and burritos, and also as a greeter.
Melara-Garcia is soft-spoken but smiles often and speaks proudly about his job. His mother, Rosie Ramos — now also a dedicated Hugs Cafe volunteer — says she always believed he could succeed in the workforce, though the journey took time.
“One of his prekindergarten teachers noticed Xavier wasn’t able to express himself and would sometimes throw himself on the floor and have little tantrums because he couldn’t communicate what he needed,” she says. “He was evaluated and diagnosed with an intellectual disability and a speech impairment, and he was also experiencing absence seizures.”
Ramos says her son attended school in both general and special education settings. He performed at a high level academically but struggled to communicate verbally, even when in severe pain that ultimately led to an appendectomy. Since completing the training program and beginning work at the cafe, she has seen a dramatic change.
“He’s more communicative now and lets you know when he has something to say,” Ramos says. “It’s happened so fast. How did my baby go from being nonverbal to such a brave young man? He’s so brave, and he makes me brave.”
Melara-Garcia enjoys spending the money he earns, often on shoes, video games or Xbox gift cards. His cooking skills continue to grow both at the cafe and at home, where his parents now feel confident allowing him to prepare meals independently. Knowing he’s at the cafe also gives Ramos peace of mind.
“He’s literally 10 minutes away from my mom. If anything happens to her or to him, they’re both close to each other,” she says. “And for him to be able to get out of the house, come be with his friends, chit-chat it up, make plans to go out for the weekend, and make his own income, I’m just so proud. It makes me want to cry.”
The employees working at Hugs Cafe get the chance to work in various roles.
The Hugs Training Academy offers a 12-week program for individuals seeking careers in the culinary and hospitality industries. The course culminates in a food handler’s certification exam and an interview with an employment partner, whether at Hugs Cafe or another organization.
“One of our graduates said her dream job was to make breadsticks at Olive Garden,” Buschman says. “We got her in the door, and she started as a greeter. Once she proved herself, the manager allowed her to move to the kitchen and make breadsticks. She had to earn the position just like anyone else, but because of her training, she got the job she wanted.”
A key component of the program is “job carving,” Buschman says.
“At the academy, the instructors and the managers all get to know each student, learn what they like, and ask probing questions to see what they want to do,” she says. “If they want to butter bread, then they’re going to butter bread, and we'll find that job for them.”
Even though he enjoys making sandwiches, Melara-Garcia recently expressed interest in becoming a greeter. Hugs Cafe Dallas general manager Monique Roberts now schedules him in that role as well, rotating responsibilities based on his interests.
According to Buschman, the cafes operate at about 80% sustainable revenue, making donations from individuals and corporations essential to achieving the nonprofit’s mission.
“When I started a year ago, Toyota was the first corporate donor I dealt with and it has been such a delight,” she says. “They specifically support our external job placement and job skill coaching. They wanted their funding to be a broad reach, so they help us fund external job placement and job skills coaching for those external positions.”
Toyota employees also volunteer their time — role-playing as customers in training scenarios, assisting with facility improvements, or helping with deep cleaning and greenhouse projects.
“They are amazing and wonderful,” Buschman says.
Last year, Toyota also participated in the Hugs Cafe’s Affiliate Summit, which brings together affiliate partners from across the country to learn from one another, share best practices, seek mentorship and collaboratively navigate challenges — strengthening their collective impact and ability to launch or enhance similar programs in their own communities.
“It’s incredible because Hugs Cafe really has a secret sauce for success, but they’re not keeping it to themselves,” says Michaela Hernandez, senior analyst of community development in Toyota North America’s Sustainable Development Division. “They really believe that they can empower other cafes or other businesses around the country to adopt similar models, or enhance models that they already have in place around disability and inclusion hiring.”
The summit brought partners to McKinney for two days of collaboration and knowledge sharing. “Seeing Hugs dedicate time to convening their affiliates — to create space for collaboration, learning and mutual support — was powerful,” says Hernandez. “When organizations come together with that level of intention, real positive change becomes possible.”
Buschman says Toyota’s support extends beyond funding. When the company renovates office spaces, it often donates furniture and equipment. In one case, Toyota provided an oven while upgrading its cafe. “We were basically building two kitchens from scratch, so that was immensely helpful,” she says.
With Toyota’s support, Hugs Cafe provided individualized workforce readiness services to 35 participants in 2025, including job coaching and placement assistance designed to help each individual secure and maintain meaningful employment. The two cafes and the greenhouse now employ a total of 86 individuals, several of whom have been with the organization since it opened.
“We appreciate how Toyota and other donors always go above and beyond to help however they can,” Buschman says. “It really makes such a difference.”
Hugs Cafe currently operates two cafes, one at 224 E. Virginia St., McKinney, and the other at 2918 Live Oak St., Dallas. Construction is currently underway for a 13,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art headquarters facility, slated to open this summer. To volunteer, donate or learn more about Hugs Cafe’s programs, visit hugscafe.org.
Originally published in FWD>DFW, May 5, 2026. Written by Steven Lindsey.