Currently, the training facility and administrative staff are located within McKinney but not in the same spot where Hugs Cafe, the organization’s restaurant, is located.
“We recognized we had an ability to not only enhance our existing facilities and resources, but to combine them to create efficiency, to centralize and collaborate,” Executive Director Lauren Smith said. “There's also some information efficiency that happens when you come to the cafe, then I can bring you to our training academy, and also introduce you to our team that helps execute those visions without having to go from location A, B and C.”
The overview
The headquarters, which will be 13,500 square feet, is slated to open summer 2026. The two-story building will house Hugs Cafe, which is set to relocate from its downtown location. It will also feature a state of the art training academy and training kitchen, as well as four classrooms, a rooftop deck and a patio.
Administrative offices, learning areas and workspaces in the facility will also enable instructor and staff collaboration and learning area and work space. Smith said there are many benefits to having all facets of the organization under one roof, including staff-wide collaboration and facility offerings.
“Just this morning, we were planning our Hugs 10 year anniversary, and if we were all in one building, it would be really easy for the staff to come down to the cafe and have that collaboration session. We're excited to see the team engage in new ways,” Smith said. “We're excited for the entire staff to use the whole building. Imagine, after a cafe employee has worked all day, they're able to go upstairs and hang out on the patio and have a cup of coffee.”
The total project cost is $10 million, and Smith said they are about 50% of the way to their fundraising goals. McKinney Community Development Corporation contributed $970,000 to the project to cover the cost of horizontal infrastructure, Smith said.
“That portion allows the city to elevate its infrastructure in general,” Smith said. “That is going to be our home forever and ever. We're so thankful the city recognized our tenure here, our need to grow, and what it's going to mean, not only for our organization, but for the people with disabilities to have a headquarters and a place in the thriving downtown.”
Other donations have been received from corporations and local businesses such as Sammons Enterprises, HEB and Tomes Auto Group.
A closer look
The Hugs headquarters will be less than a mile from the current cafe and will be situated at the corner of Green and Andrews streets, just east of the new Tupps Brewery.
Smith said the location selection was largely due to Mike Redeker, who owns many parcels of land on the east side and near downtown.
“Mike, in addition to being a landowner, is also a compassionate individual that has a servant heart, and so he was able to donate a portion of the land to us, and we were able to buy the other portion,” Smith said. “Market rate for an acre of land in downtown McKinney, if you can even find it, is going to be a million dollars plus. We didn't pay anything close to that. It was a unique opportunity for us.”
The backstory
Hugs was founded Oct. 13, 2015 by Ruth Thompson to employ adults with disabilities. The organization serves as a proof of concept for inclusive hiring.
“This was a seed for what would become the other programs that we offer: Hugs Greenhouse Hugs Home Cooking and Hugs Training Academy,” Smith said.
Quote of note
Hugs currently employs 53 mission minded staff members, who are all adults with disabilities. Employees must be at least 18 years old to work at Hugs, but they cannot age out of a job.
Danny Sigler, 31, started working at Hugs 10 years ago as a dishwasher. He was able to add sandwich maker, recipe assistant and cashier to his resume. He is also a Hugs ambassador. He said his favorite part of working at Hugs is working alongside staff members who he sees as friends.
When asked to give advice to kids with disabilities who are considering career opportunities, Sigler said he would tell them, “It may be difficult, but there's training involved and staff members that will help kids with disabilities.”
Get involved
Smith said there are a variety of ways to get involved with Hugs Cafe Inc. such as being a customer at the cafe or greenhouse.
Cafe staff members keep the same schedule every week, which provides opportunities for customers to build relationships with staff members.
“I can't tell you how much it means when our staff know that you know their name and you have a conversation with them that's meaningful,” Smith said. “Don't just be a customer, be a champion. Get to know our people, our team. I promise you will not regret it.”
There are also a plethora of volunteer opportunities such as working side-by-side with a staff member in the cafe, being a mock diner in the training program, helping out the greenhouse staff during McKinney’s farmers market and more. In-kind and financial donations are also accepted.
“I feel most successful when I see our staff, any staff member, achieve something new or get an opportunity to grow their potential,” Smith said. “We believe in developing the best in people, and I want that for every board member, every volunteer, every employee, regardless if you have a medical diagnosis of a disability or not. When I see people thriving in a place that I'm trying to help create, that, to me, is really beautiful.”
- Hugs Cafe: 224 E. Virginia St., McKinney
- www.hugscafe.org
