One Day Café Empowers Individuals Through Job Training & Teamwork
A new coffee shop in Fishers is serving more than just lattes and pastries — it’s brewing opportunity. One Day Café, located inside Kids Innovative Developmental Services (KIDSinc), is designed to show what inclusion can look like in everyday life, where individuals of all abilities learn, work and connect alongside one another.
“This café is all about creating real opportunities,” says Shellie King, president of Kids Innovative Developmental Service. “Through our T.E.A.M. program — Together Employability Aims for More — participants gain job training, confidence and friendships that lead to long-term success.”
One Day Café is the first step in that vision. Participants in TEAM’s programming begin in the “Dream Lab,” a classroom space where they explore their goals and build foundational skills. From there, they put those skills into action at the café, learning everything from customer service and money handling to teamwork and problem-solving.
“Each cohort learns together, building both employability and supportive friendships,” King says.
But the café is just the beginning. TEAM plans to expand with a modified grocery store inside the clinic, where children in feeding therapy can shop for preferred foods while participants manage inventory, budgeting and restocking. A future phase will introduce take-and-bake meal kits for families, creating even more opportunities to learn assembly, organization and customer interaction skills.
TEAM aims to employ participants across these ventures while welcoming volunteers and local partners. The overarching goal is to help individuals live fulfilling lives, build sustainable relationships, and contribute meaningfully to their communities.
“Long-term, we hope to see TEAM Fishers, TEAM Carmel, and beyond — each empowering people where they live, reducing transportation barriers, and strengthening local business ties,” King says.
For participants, One Day Café is more than a workplace, it’s a launchpad for independence, confidence and inclusion. And for the community, it’s a chance to see firsthand what a truly inclusive workplace can look like — one coffee at a time.
