A café chain employing 90 per cent of its staff with disabilities
- Solution
- Give & Take Coffee
- Organization
- Give & Take Coffee
- Country of Implementation
- China
- Region
- Asia & Pacific
- Subregion
- Southeast Asia
- Start Year
- 2020
- First published
- 03.12.2024

Solution details
People
“Working at Give & Take Coffee has helped me to reignite my hope in life, and training others like me has given back my confidence.” Yingying Chen, Co-founder and Trainer-in-Chief, Give & Take Coffee
Founded in Shanghai in 2020, Give & Take Coffee is a social enterprise focused on accessibility and inclusivity. Ninety per cent of its workforce are individuals with disabilities who work as baristas and managers to create accessible cafés. Using innovative assistive technologies such as AR-glasses and specially designed layouts and machines, they ensure everyone thrives. By 2024, Give & Take Coffee employed 103 people – 93 with disabilities – across 14 stores in China, a location in Singapore, and a coffee farm.
Problems Targeted
People with disabilities often encounter barriers to accessible workplaces and job opportunities, hindering their independence and careers.
Solution, Innovation and Impact
Give & Take Coffee, or 熊爪咖啡 (bear’s paw) in Chinese, was established in 2020 to create employment opportunities for people with disabilities in China. Originally known for its concept of serving coffee through a ‘"bear’s paw’ arm extended through a wall, the design provided a comfortable, private setup for employees with disabilities or social anxiety. By 2021, Give & Take evolved into a chain of fully inclusive, barrier-free cafés that employs staff with a range of disabilities, from deafness to visual impairments. For blind and low-vision employees, coffee machines have been adapted with uniquely shaped buttons, and order systems use barcodes that allow easy confirmation. Deaf staff use AR glasses for real-time speech-to-text communication, enhancing customer interactions, while additional safety devices alert staff in emergencies, such as a fire. Give & Take further supports its team by providing free hearing aids for employees with severe hearing loss and operates two specialized barista training centres: one for those with spinal cord injuries and another for blind baristas. Supported by AR and POS system manufacturers, the café benefits from a low turnover rate, thus reducing training costs and boosting staff experience. By 2024 the café chain had 103 employees (93 with disabilities), 14 cafés across China, a location in Singapore, and even its own coffee farm.
Funding, Outlook and Transferability
Give & Take Coffee sells coffee in-store and online, along with related products. In 2024 the company announced plans to open 100 new stores by 2026 in China and globally. Their first overseas store in Singapore was launched with a local social enterprise for financial sustainability. (Zero Project Awardee 2025)
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