New SE Fort Collins coffee shop hires people with disabilities

Elli’s Deli debuted in Northern Colorado last summer as a food cart that employs workers with developmental and learning disabilities.

As the operation gears up for its second season on the road, Elli’s Deli has also opened a brick-and-mortar coffee shop inside a new Fort Collins rehabilitation and assisted living center.

The stand greets those who enter The Suites of Fort Collins at 4880 Ziegler Road. The Eduro Healthcare-owned facility initially pursued the partnership.

“There’s a lot of need for something like this in the community,” said David Koch, Elli’s Deli manager. “We want to provide an opportunity for people to grow.”

The store is open to the public and serves a Guatemalan coffee in addition to breakfast burritos, pizzas, sandwiches and baked goods from Daddy Cakes Bakery.

The new coffee shop launched this month, but is in the process of hiring and will celebrate an official grand opening April 15.

Eduro Healthcare also plans to add Elli’s Deli locations at Denver and Loveland sites.

“I hope we have the highest turnover ratio of employees at any business,” said Elli’s Deli co-founder Jeff Wittenauer. “Our goal is to train people, (and) then educate employers that these are viable employees.”

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Wittenauer was inspired to start the operation for his daughter, Elli, a 2015 Rocky Mountain High School graduate who has a developmental disorder called Smith-Magenis Syndrome.

Elli proudly calls herself the chef of the food cart and refers to the new coffee shop as “her restaurant.”

“We wanted a job she would enjoy,” Wittenauer said. “We will do whatever it takes here to train people.”

All of the employees are paid, a point of emphasis for Wittenauer.

Elli’s Deli uses a Square cash register system, with pictures of all the items on the screen to make it easy for the employees to operate. There’s only one, 12-ounce size of coffee available.

The operation uses The Suites’ house restaurant — called Ziegler's — as its commissary kitchen for both the food cart and the new coffee shop.

The food cart, which serves Philly cheesesteaks, among other items, makes its 2017 debut April 1 at Houska Automotive.

The Elli’s Deli coffee shop is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays. Eventually the store will operate from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Follow Jacob Laxen on Twitter and Instagram @jacoblaxen

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