Hugs Cafe was founded in 2013 as a non-profit social enterprise in McKinney, Texas, dedicated to providing meaningful training and competitively paid employment for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. For more than 10 years, it has been our purpose to offer a place of hope, understanding, grace, and success to individuals so they may be recognized for their abilities and talents in the community.

Our organization started with the offering of Hugs Café, which continues to be our flagship program. Through Hugs Café, we directly employ adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in a café setting. Jobs at our cafe include server, cashier, sandwich line attendant, sides and dessert assembly, dish washer, host, and more. We believe it is important to provide quality jobs that are designed for the individual so that our employees will know personal and professional success.

Over the years we have expanded to include Hugs Greenhouse, the second direct employment program from Hugs Café, Inc. This program involves training and educating adults with special needs on gardening, retail sales, and socialization within the community. Hugs Home Cooking is a monthly group cooking class led by a classically trained chef that provides a place to build social skills and develop independent cooking capabilities. Our most recent endeavor is Hugs Training Academy; an educational training program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who seek to be employed in the food service and hospitality industries.