SURPRISE, AZ — It's the Valley cafe serving up more than just a cup of coffee. In fact, the founder of Spencer's Place in Surprise says her employees are changing lives.
Coming to work with a smile on her face isn't that hard for Racquel Crosby - and it's for good reason.
"I feel all this energy that is flowing through me," says Crosby. "And I thought, this is the kind of job I would want."
Crosby has been a cashier at Spencer's Place near Reems and Waddell for the past two years - but it's more than just a job for Crosby.
"It has changed my life so much," she explains. "Ever since I've been working here, I've been getting paid, I've been getting all my paychecks, and this is something I want to do for the rest of my life."
"It exceeds everything that I really planned for, honestly," says Karin York, the founder of Spencer's Place.
York is a special education teacher turned business owner, creating Spencer's Place in 2019 after realizing so many of her former students weren't given the opportunities to live up to their full potential.
"The majority were at home, they weren't necessarily qualified to go to a day program, they didn't have resources. They were lonely. A lot of them just told me they were lonely. It haunted me. I couldn't shake it. I love coffee. And this was my response."
What was initially an idea just brewing in her head is now a reality - and a new path in life for people like Crosby and others at Spencer's Place. York tells ABC15 of her 31 employees, 16 have special needs.
"Families of children with disabilities come in here and this is home. They are welcomed. This is their place," says York. "And I've heard stories of people that are just bawling at the pick-up window and they say 'I've never interacted with somebody with a disability and I didn't know how. I've always felt kind of ignorant. And now, I don't get a choice. If I want my coffee, it's going to get rung in by somebody with a disability. And I need to figure out how to order and interact.'"
York says Spencer's Place is also planning to expand and will open up a second location in Surprise in early 2023.
For hours and more information, head to their website.