Innovation

On October 12th, our group had the pleasure of meeting with Michael Evans, co-founder of 321 Coffee via Zoom to learn more about his story, and 321 Coffee’s mission. Michael grew up in the southeastern suburbs of Pennsylvania and studied statistics and economics at North Carolina State University from 2017-2021, where the idea for 321 Coffee was born. Michael met his cofounder, Lindsay Wrege, through the Park Scholarship program at NC State, which served as the ground zero for their business. Lindsay grew up in the Raleigh area and noticed that there were not many professional opportunities available for disabled members of her community. She had the idea to start something that would help provide meaningful work opportunities to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and 321 Coffee was born. What started as a stand at a local farmers market has now grown to three retail locations across the state, an online storefront, and two more retail locations on the way.

321 Coffee is an amazing example of a company creating positive change in its community, as well as the lives of all stakeholders involved. The UN SDGs that 321 works towards include Goal #8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all, as well as Goal #10: Reduced Inequalities: Reduce inequality within and among countries. In addition to focusing on these goals, 321 also makes efforts towards environmental sustainability and aims to innovate in all aspects of the business model. The impact they have already had on the Raleigh community is astounding, and they are on a continuous growth trajectory.

Inspiration

The idea for 321 Coffee was born out of Linsday's personal experiences and relationships with disabled people in her life. The name 321 Coffee is actually “representative of Down Syndrome,” because the condition is a result of an individual having “3 copies of the 21st chromosome”. Although Michael didn’t have these personal experiences before 321, they both shared a vision to create a company founded on inclusion. Michael still recalls the first event that 321 had back in 2017 where he met Sam, who became the first 321 employee, and the two of them felt an instant connection. Lindsay and Michael made it their mission to advocate for this marginalized group of people, proving that success and doing good could go hand-in-hand. With no prior business experience, Lindsay and Michael encountered many challenges, but did not let their lack of expertise stop them. The co-founders relied heavily on school resources at NC State, including professors and other mentors, and people in the greater Raleigh community involved in business or the coffee industry. An important lesson Michael learned from his mentors that he still uses today is the skill of analyzing risk to aid in important business decisions. Through understanding what risks and benefits are correlated to different decisions, Michael has been able to identify strategic moves and mitigate risk. For example, the co-founders decided to buy their first espresso machine off of Craigslist and use repurposed cabinets inside their store to reduce start-up costs as much as possible.

Overall impact

The Company serves both freshly brewed coffee out of its retail locations and operates an online marketplace to sell bags of its roasted coffee. Working at 321 Coffee, however, is not just a job, but a welcoming community and future for its employees. Sam, as previously mentioned, was 321 Coffee’s first employee, and he is still employed to this day. When he first started, he would drive an hour every day to work to partake in the opportunity. As Michael stated, the job “changed his life”, and after some time Sam was able to move to Raleigh and live on his own for the first time. “That impact alone is something that really speaks to what we are trying to do at 321 Coffee,” Michael said, “we are really trying to enable independence in our team and enable [our employees] to live the life they want to have”. Outside of its employees, 321 Coffee makes a difference for other individuals and families with disabilities by showing the opportunities they have and the possibilities for independence and community that exist for them.

In the short term, 321 brightens the lives of customers and employees everyday by creating an inclusive and positive workplace and retail experience. 321 makes an incredible long term impact on employees by helping them enter the workforce and build important skills and relationships, which is an opportunity that may be otherwise difficult to come across for a person with Down Syndrome in the area. This is more than a job, however, and brings serious light, hope, joy, and more to employees and customers. Those with this disability are able to build meaningful connections and relationships and not only meet, but work alongside, others with the same condition. Overall, 321 Coffee makes a difference in the lives of many and touches hearts all across the Raleigh area and beyond.

Business benefit

321 Coffee was an idea borne out of the realization that there is a need for providing those with disabilities professional experiences, and to provide them with the opportunity to lead and take charge of business operations. Initially, 321 Coffee started off as a stand at a local farmers market, however, their ability to expand into permanent locations and to plan on adding their own roasting facility serves as a testament to the revenue they have raised thus far and their future growth potential. Currently, they employ over 50 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and have employees who have remained on board from the origination of the company in 2017, speaking volumes to their employee retention and company culture. During the pandemic, 321 was forced to re-evaluate how business operations would be carried out, and they used the circumstance as an opportunity to expand their business into coffee roasting. As a result of how 321 Coffee handled business operations due to change, and because of their great employee culture and retention, they have not only been able to expand their profits but have also been able to turn their business into a force for good. Their ability to expand into coffee roasting, open new locations, and grow their workforce while maintaining their original crew demonstrates 321 Coffee working towards accomplishing the UN Sustainable Development Goals involving decent work and economic growth as well as reduced inequalities. Because the business was able to adapt so well to change while staying true to its mission, vision, and values, and while maintaining a high-quality employee culture, 321 Coffee has become a vehicle for good, and has been able to spread its purpose beyond the North Carolina area.

Social and environmental benefit

As Coffee 321 was founded with the purpose of creating professional opportunities for individuals with disabilities, the business has a positive social impact, not only on its employees but also on the greater community. Coffee 321 aims to make a difference in their lives and provides a supportive community with Michael mentioning that he “tries to be available for the team and listening,” especially to their “concerns and things going on in their lives.”

In addition to this, the team at Coffee 321 makes an effort to be conscious of their impact on the environment and incorporates this goal into their decision-making process. They prioritize keeping their impact on the planet as minimal as possible by using more sustainable materials, as well as being energy efficient. For example, they were able to transition their coffee packaging to fully backyard compostable options, which allow for their packaging to be composted more easily and conveniently. Additionally, Coffee 321 has invested in a Loring coffee roster, which generates 80% of the emissions compared to a typical coffee roaster, and through their partnership with Oatly, their whole delivery fleet is electric. As the business continues to grow, they plan to stay true to this goal and research how to create true sustainability, while avoiding getting “greenwashed” into new decisions or products that may not be as sustainable as they seem.

321 Coffee is helping to set an example for businesses, the community, and the planet through its innovative actions. The coffee shop company has helped people with disabilities, their families, and the public by changing their perspective and showing what people with disabilities can achieve. Not only are people being helped, but so is the planet. The sustainable initiatives help to benefit the planet and community. 321 Coffee is a great example of how businesses can change the world for the better.

Interview

Michael Evans, Co-Founder