Coffee Shop Staffed By Those With Disabilities Opens In Morris County

MORRISTOWN, NJ — The team at Ethan and the Bean, a café with a special mission, will be hosting a grand opening celebration on Thursday night for their newest location in Morristown.

The grand opening will be held at their newest location, Valley National Bank's new headquarters at 70 Speedwell Avenue. Festivities will begin at 5 p.m. and last until 7 p.m., officials said.

During the celebration, guests will be able to meet the crew and try a special drink made just for the grand opening, an Ube latte, which is a Philippine dessert made from boiled and mashed purple yam.

After opening its first location in 2019, Ethan and the Bean has grown in popularity due to their welcoming and impactful mission of increasing the employment rate for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

According to Francesca Cwynar, the community manager at Ethan and the Bean, the unemployment rate is well over 80 percent for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Ethan and the Bean aims to help this grossly marginalized population in the nation.

Following their grand opening, their hours will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Cwynar previously told Patch that the team, including Nitasha Dickes, the café manager at the new Morris County location, are excited to join the Morristown community.

For more information on Ethan and the Bean or to follow for opening updates, visit their Facebook page.

The coffee shop is opening at Valley National Bank's headquarters, which replaced a string of vacant structures located along five lots on Speedwell Avenue, according to SJP Properties.

The property includes about 120,000 square feet of office space, floor-to-ceiling windows and skyline views. Operable glass walls open to three outdoor terraces. The first floor features a lobby entrance with soaring ceilings, along with 14,500 square feet of available retail space, a portion of which will house a new Valley retail banking branch.

Valley National Bank has $62 billion in assets, according to its corporate profile. The company has branches in New Jersey, New York, Florida and Alabama.