Sophie Pacyna can’t get enough coffee.
She starts her day with two cups from her Keurig, each with sugar and a little bit of milk. At work, she’ll make a pour-over or two, weaning off add-ins for a more bitter cup. After clocking out at 4 p.m. to relax at home, she might pour a splash of Kahlua in her late-night Joe.
But coffee isn’t just her hobby. It’s at least 40 hours of her week — thanks to Raleigh’s 321 Coffee .
Pacyna, who has Down syndrome, works at 321 Coffee, which exclusively employs roasters and baristas with intellectual and developmental disabilities. On top of its five ( almost six ) locations and recent Weaver Street Market partnership, the company began selling its roasts at six Whole Foods Locations this month.
With these partnerships (and plans for even greater expansion in the future), the 321 team has begun significantly ramping up production — especially in their roasting facility. Roasters’ work hours can now increase by about 30%, said CEO and co-founder Lindsay Wrege.