Yet another national coffee chain has plans to expand to Columbus. According to recent reporting, Bitty & Beau’s Coffee Shop has announced that it will open its first location in the area. What Now Columbus confirmed with co-founder Amy Wright that a location hasn’t been secured yet, but the company is actively searching for the right spot. The coffee chain got its start in 2016 in Wilmington, North Carolina and has expanded in the past seven years to 19 shops across 11 states, with over 400 employees.
The business calls itself “a human rights movement disguised as a coffee shop,” and has been featured on multiple national news outlets including The Today Show, Good Morning America and CNN. Bitty & Beau’s Coffee Shop advocates for inclusion through hiring people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to work in their coffee shops. The business was founded by Amy and Ben Wright and is named after two of their four children, Bitty and Beau, who were born with Down syndrome.
According to its website, Bitty & Beau’s Coffee Shop serves cold brew and espresso coffee drinks, chai and matcha beverages, along with teas, smoothies and frappes. There are also light food offerings such as bagels, muffins and assorted pastries, including gluten-free options.
