Special Knead Cafe provides employment for special needs adults

SANDTON – The cafe will provide young special needs adults with employment and give them the opportunity to follow their passion.

Michaela Steenberg, Sammi Rundle, Phehello Masitha, Jenny Emslie and Chris Emslie stand proudly in their new cafe. Photo: Laura Pisanello

The Special Knead Café, a café run entirely by young adults with special needs, is excitedly preparing for their opening.

The café will be located in Sandton at the Fluffs and Tufts kennels and will provide a place for the young adults to earn a living. The café was previously located in Kyalami but due to problems with the council, they were forced to move. Now the team made up of proud parents and young, special needs adults is busily preparing for their opening.

Sammi Rundle, Michaela Steenberg, Phehello Masitha and Chris Emslie, who all have special needs, will run the cafe.

Chris Emslie and Phehello Masitha try out their new coffee machine at the Special Knead Cafe. Photo: Laura Pisanello

Sammi’s mom Kim and Chris’ mom Jenny, who helped start the cafe, said they are extremely excited that their children will have the opportunity to have their own business. Chris, who will be the chef at the café, will be making fresh pastries, including cakes and muffins, each day for hungry patrons. The cafe will be serving coffee and the Chris’ baked goods.

“Chris is an incredibly talented boy but because he needs extra time, people aren’t very understanding. His stuff is just beautiful, he has a gift. So we thought we would have a little container [in Kyalami] and just serve takeaways, but now we’re here,” said Rundle.

The Special Knead Café is located in a wooden cabin which was paid for by Kim’s husband John, and Jenny’s husband Tony has helped erect it.

Items ranging from table decorations to large coffee makers were donated. “Everything in here, except for the wooden cabin, was donated – we have so many people who have been unbelievable,” said Rundle.

Jenny Emslie says her son Chris’s baked good will be displayed at the Special Knead Cafe. Photo: Laura Pisanello

“I’m so excited for him to have his own space. He’s creating an opportunity for other specials as well; we hope that this will be the first of many. It’s been so exciting because we know it’s going to make a difference,” said Emslie.

Rundle added that Niki and John Elliott from Fluffs and Tufts have been exceptionally helpful in the run-up to the opening. The setup of the café has been a passion project for everyone involved, with excited parents helping out wherever they can.

“This is the place where you come when you don’t fit into all the other boxes, this is the place for people to just be who they are,” concluded Rundle.

Details: Special Knead Cafe 082 415 1283.