New Mueller coffee shop employs people with Down Syndrome

MUELLER, Texas - A new coffee shop in Mueller is serving up more than just coffee.

"Empowered Café" employs people with Down Syndrome. The idea started 18 years ago when founder Nick Carlin’s son was diagnosed.

He says it changed the way he viewed life.

The backstory:

"When we moved to Austin, a big part of how we got settled here was through the Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas, which was a great community to join and made us feel good in Austin and from that day my wife always envisioned having a space for the community to get together," said Nick Carlin, founder, Empowered Café.

The vision first came to life in 2019 with a downtown Austin coffee shop, but the business closed six months later due to rising rent costs.

Since then, Carlin has been working to bring it back.

"I started my firm, Carlin Wealth Management Group, which is here in the same space, with the idea that we would buy a space that could have a new café, Empowered Café, to employ people with down syndrome. But also, to house the down syndrome association," said Carlin.

The new mixed-use space also houses an activity room for the community. Carlin’s Wealth Management Firm is allowing both the café and the Down Syndrome Association to operate under the same roof rent-free.

"We have this space for our business. We don't need rent from the café, so I just want to make it as easy as possible for it to survive and thrive," said Carlin.

The for-profit café’s mission is to help people with Down Syndrome build job skills, gain confidence, and find meaningful employment.

"People with Down Syndrome are people, and really wonderful people, kind and caring, but they do take longer to do things. You need patience, and so, that makes it harder to be employed anywhere, and people do have prejudices, so hiring people with disabilities or people with disabilities getting hired is not easy," said Carlin.

The Café opened on Mother’s Day and has already received a warm welcome from the Mueller community.

Carlin says he hopes the café will help employees build the experience and confidence they need to enter the workforce.

"I think we make good coffee, but it's also made with a mission. So it's to just support our whole community and create opportunities for people that don't always get them," said Carlin.

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