Mermaid Café serves opportunity and inclusion with a staff primarily of employees with disabilities.
SAN ANTONIO — A newly opened café on the north side is serving more than coffee, it’s serving up opportunity, inclusion and community.
Mermaid Café, which quietly opened its doors on May 5, is staffed primarily by employees with disabilities and is already drawing crowds from near and far.
The café’s official grand opening is set for July 9.
For founder Leah and her family, this café is the realization of a dream two decades in the making.
“I had a purpose,” Leah shared. “I was involved with reading, book and cooking, baking… I was inspired by my idols like Rachael Ray!”
Customers say the atmosphere is as warm as the coffee.
Jerry Wessler, who visited from Georgia, brought her brother, who has down syndrome to experience what she calls a one-of-a-kind environment.
“It really made us feel joyful. And we’re happy to be here,” she said. “My brother has a disability and we wanted to bring him here to experience being with some fellow friends.”
Mermaid Café isn’t just about good food and drinks, it’s about redefining workplace norms.
Leah’s father emphasized the mission behind the counter: “We don’t have any volunteers. We don’t have job coaches. We have actual employees… and they get paid.”
The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive.
“People smile when they come in… and say, thank you for opening this place. It’s a place where we can feel accepted and feel safe,” Leah’s father said.
The grand opening on July 9 will bring family, friends and first-time visitors together to celebrate what Mermaid Café truly represents: a space where people of all abilities are not just welcomed—but empowered.