Coffee Shop Opening in Providence Creates Jobs for People with Disabilities
By Eli Sachs
Bitty & Beau's Coffee will open its first Rhode Island location on North Main Street in Providence on October 25, offering employment opportunities specifically for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The shop, located at 100 N. Main St., will hold its ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. on opening day.
The coffee shop chain was founded more than nine years ago in Wilmington, North Carolina, by Amy and Ben Wright, inspired by their two youngest children, Beau and Bitty, who were both born with Down syndrome. The Wrights created the business to represent the approximately 80% of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are unemployed nationwide.
"We created Bitty & Beau's Coffee to show the world that people with IDD should be valued, accepted and included members of society, especially in the workplace. It's a place where diversity is not just appreciated, it's celebrated," Amy Wright said.
The business describes itself as "a human rights movement disguised as a coffee shop," emphasizing its focus on changing societal perceptions about people with disabilities through everyday interactions over coffee.
According to Amy Wright, the Providence location will offer a distinctive experience unlike traditional coffee shops. The shop features a customer bar without equipment, designed specifically to facilitate conversations between patrons and employees.
"It is a very welcoming atmosphere, you'll be greeted when you walk through the door with a 'Welcome to Bitty & Beau's' - it's all about human connection," Wright explained. She added that customers should expect occasional spontaneous dance parties, high-fives, and hugs.
The menu includes hot and iced drinks in various flavors—freshly brewed coffee, lattes, chai, cappuccinos, teas, frappes, and smoothies—along with breakfast pastries and desserts such as cookies, cake pops, bagels, muffins, cinnamon rolls, and brownies.
Employment applications are available online for those who are interested.
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Sources
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Bitty & Beau's Coffee. n.d. "Providence." Accessed October 13, 2025. https://www.bittyandbeauscoffee.com/location/providence/.
Bitty & Beau's Coffee. 2017. "Bitty and Beau's Coffee Brews Up New Location." October 19, 2022. https://www.bittyandbeauscoffee.com/bitty-beaus-coffee-brews-new-location/2017/.
Bitty & Beau's Coffee (@bittyandbeauscoffee). 2025. "Join Us for the Grand Opening of Bitty & Beau's Coffee in Providence, RI." Instagram, October 3, 2025. https://www.instagram.com/p/DPZcvcYEuD5/.
DaSilva, Allie. 2024. "A Coffee Shop With a Special Mission is Coming to Providence." GoLocalProv, September 6, 2024. https://www.golocalprov.com/news/a-coffee-shop-with-a-special-mission-is-coming-to-providence1.
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