PONTIAC, Mich. (WXYZ) — Everybody Coffee, located on Lawrence Street in downtown Pontiac, is more than a place to grab a latte. It's a business built on inclusion — and every cup served carries a deeper purpose.
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"The heart of our business is the inclusion of everybody. Everybody matters all the time," owner and CEO Jenny Brown said.
Brown opened Everybody Coffee with her older sister, Becca, whom she describes as her role model.
"My sister, Becca, is the best, kindest, most loyal, hardworking, honest, funny person I've ever known," Brown said. And growing up, she was my mentor; I really looked up to her, and I really wanted to go into business with her," Brown said.
The business is connected to Dutton Farm, a non-profit their family started in 2010 that provides skill-building and supportive employment to individuals with disabilities.
"So, the non-profit provides the sort of pipeline for training, job readiness, job coaching for individuals to be successful in the workplace, and then the social enterprise, Everybody Coffee, is just one of the businesses that provides employment opportunities for people," Brown said.
For Becca Smither, working as a barista at Everybody Coffee is a dream come true.
"It was my dream to work in a coffee shop. My favorite job is the register... because I'm good at it."
Jenny Brown says growing awareness about the shop's mission remains one of its biggest challenges.
"I think just growing and getting the word out that we are a business that also accomplishes social change and increasing that foot traffic is probably our biggest challenge," Brown said.
Everybody Coffee is approaching its one-year anniversary at the Lawrence Street location in November. Brown says the business is also hoping to open another location in Macomb County.
For first-time customer Ryan Heur, the visit left a lasting impression.
"I'll definitely come back here. It's a great location, the coffee is good. What more could you ask for?" Heur said.
Brown says every visit to the shop is a step toward a more inclusive future.
"I tell myself, every customer that comes, and every dollar that gets spent, is like a vote for the type of world we want to see in the future, and every day we stay open, we bring ourselves closer to a brighter future for those that are excluded," Brown said.
I will be at Everybody Coffee on Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a community conversation with residents and city leaders. If you have a story idea in Pontiac, stop by and share it.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
