MELROSE, MASS. (WHDH) - Bitty and Beau’s in Melrose is on a mission to provide opportunities for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Thirty-one of the employees at the franchise are part of that mission.
The coffee shop on Main Street just celebrated one year in business.
“I love working here,” says employee Jennifer Kenny. “These nice, fine people. I love working with them.”
Kenny is not alone in her love of the job. 18-year-old Joe Sullivan just started his position three weeks ago. He organizes completed orders and notifies customers.
When Sullivan got his paycheck last week, the moment went viral online, with more than 70,000 views on Facebook.
Watching the video back, Sullivan laughed, remembering his joyful milestone.
“I jumped,” he says.
Sullivan’s mom, Tonya Sullivan, said her son has been coming to the store for months, but just recently asked for a job application. She recalled the viral moment, saying “It kind of left me breathless. He had a lot of friends and family who were in the shop anyway, because he has a lot of folks who come in to get coffee. But just to see him get that excited. That’s his first real paycheck ever.”
Sullivan and his coworkers describe working at the coffee shop as a dream come true.
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