Already present in several cities in the country, this restaurant which employs people with mental and cognitive disabilities is coming to Montpellier in the fall of 2022. After a donation campaign, soon to be finalized, recruitment is underway.
“Happy, served with the heart”. The Café Joyeux slogan perfectly sums up the original concept of the place. Installed in five cities in France and one in Portugal, the establishment will open a new branch in Montpellier in the fall. Here, employees are the concept. Considered a solidarity restaurant, Café Joyeux employs people with mental or cognitive disabilities.
A fundraising campaign “soon to end”
Before opening its doors – the location of which would be in the premises of the former shoemaker Agret, place Laissac – the brand carried out a donation campaign whose aim was to collect the necessary finances for the opening. An estimated investment of between €500,000 and €700,000. Contacted, the Café Joyeux team confirms that this stage is “soon to be finished”. Enough to allow them to move on to the next one: recruitment.
For the moment, few elements have been communicated by the company regarding the number of employees sought. However, since July 4 a job offer has been posted on the internet. The company is looking for a manager for its establishment in Montpellier. To qualify for this position, you must be able to justify two years of experience in a similar function with, of course, a sensitivity for the “world of disability and inclusion”as advertised.
Integrate isolated people
When the first restaurant opened its doors in Rennes in 2017, Café Joyeux immediately won over. “Our ambition is to put mental disability back at the heart of everyday life, and to demonstrate that the Joyeux team members are – like the others – capable of working in the ordinary environment and making a living from it”. A desire for inclusion that has won over since in 5 years no less than nine café-restaurants have opened their doors with no less than 90 people with mental and cognitive disabilities recruited.
To find the job offer, just click here.
50,000 people with Down syndrome
In France, estimates from associations indicate that 50,000 to 60,000 people are carriers of Down syndrome. geneticist who has done a lot of research on this subject. Trisomy 21 is the first diagnosed cause of mental retardation during pregnancy. Screening is usually done through ultrasound and blood tests. As a reminder, trisomy is a chromosic anomaly where the total number is not 46 but 47. This extra chromosome then creates an imbalance in the body.