Development
BY KAREN CHANEY
Hugs Cafe Inc. to construct $10M headquarters in East McKinney
Hugs Cafe Inc., a nonpro t organization that o ers training and employment opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for a new headquarters in May in east McKinney. Currently, the training facility and administra- tive sta are located within McKinney but not in the same spot where Hugs Cafe, the organiza- tion’s restaurant, is located. “We recognized we had an ability to not only enhance our existing facilities and resources, but to combine them to create e ciency, to central- ize and collaborate,” Executive Director Lauren Smith said. “There’s also some information e - ciency that happens when you come to the cafe, then I can bring you to our training academy, and also introduce you to our team that helps execute those visions without having to go from location A, B and C.” The overview The headquarters, which will be 13,500 square feet, is slated to open summer 2026. The two- story building will house Hugs Cafe, which is set to relocate from its downtown location at 224 E. Virginia St. It will also feature a state-of-the-art training academy and training kitchen, as well as four classrooms, a rooftop deck and a patio. Administrative o ces, learning areas and workspaces in the facility will also enable instructor and sta collaboration and learning area and work space. Smith said there are many bene ts to having all facets of the organization under one roof, including sta -wide collabora- tion and facility o erings. “We were planning our Hugs 10-year anniver- sary, and if we were all in one building, it would be really easy for the sta to come down to the cafe and have that collaboration session. We’re excited to see the team engage in new ways,” Smith said. “We’re excited for the entire sta to use the whole building. Imagine, after a cafe employee has worked all day, they’re able to go upstairs and hang out on the patio and have a cup of co ee.” The total project cost is $10 million, and Smith said they are about 50% of the way to their fundraising goals. McKinney Community Development Corporation contributed $970,000 to the project to cover the cost of horizontal infrastructure, Smith said. “That portion allows the city to elevate its infrastructure in general,” Smith said. “That is going to be our home forever and ever. We’re so
A groundbreaking ceremony for Hugs Cafe Inc. headquarters will be held in May in east McKinney.
RENDERING COURTESY HUGS CAFE INC.
thankful the city recognized our tenure here, our need to grow, and what it’s going to mean, not only for our organization, but for the people with disabilities to have a headquarters and a place in the thriving downtown.” Other donations have been received from cor- porations and local businesses such as Sammons Enterprises, H E B and Tomes Auto Group. The backstory Hugs was founded Oct. 13, 2015 by Ruth Thompson to employ adults with disabilities. The organization serves as a proof of concept for inclusive hiring. “This was a seed for what would become the other programs that we o er: Hugs Greenhouse, Hugs Home Cooking and Hugs Training Acad- emy,” Smith said. Hugs currently employs 53 sta members, who are all adults with disabilities. Employees must be at least 18 years old to work at Hugs, but they cannot age out of a job. Danny Sigler, 31, started working at Hugs 10
years ago as a dishwasher. He was able to add sandwich maker, recipe assistant and cashier to his resume. He is also a Hugs ambassador. He said his favorite part of working at Hugs is work- ing with sta members who he sees as friends. When asked to give advice to kids with disabil- ities who are considering career opportunities, Sigler said he would tell them it’s worth it. “It may be di cult, but there’s training involved and sta members that will help kids with disabilities.”
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“We believe in developing the best in people, and I want that for every board member, every volunteer, every employee, regardless if you have a medical diagnosis of a disability or not. When I see people thriving in a place that I’m trying to help create, that, to me, is really beautiful.” LAUREN SMITH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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MCKINNEY EDITION
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