KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Independence. Share your story idea with Claire
The Good People Cafe in Grain Valley opened in May with a mission to employee people with disabilities and be a community hotspot. After facing the hardships of running a restaurant business, it has announced it will be closing.
The nonprofit restaurant posted on its Facebook page Thursday announcing its last day will be September 15.
KSHB 41 News Reporter Claire Bradshaw covered the cafe's opening in May, sharing the excitement of some employees. For many, it was their first job. Then, in July, the cafe announced it would be temporarily closing. Pastor Mike Cassidy said they needed to fundraise to reopen, reevaluate their business model and hire a new manager.
"So we knew going in it was going to be be tough, but we also knew that it's so important. It's so important, especially, I think even more in this time that we are so isolated as a people, and then to have a community that was already isolated. It's even more so," said Cassidy back in July.
After reopening on August 15, business still didn't increase enough to stay afloat. That has prompted the cafe to close after the weekend. Kris Stevens, a board member and mom of an employee, shared in July why she felt it was important to support this.
"We go to work for a paycheck. But we also get a lot of other things from a job: value, self-worth, the feeling of belonging. Those are a lot of things that I think people don't realize come with working with employment, being part of a team, and having a purpose. Those are all things that a lot of this community is missing out on. And that's unfortunate," said Stevens.
The cafe posted a reminder that this closure does not reflect the quality and ability of their staff. They encourage people to visit for one final time to congratulate their employees on a job well done.
