Orders come rolling into the kitchen as Jace Hamakawa preps and cooks for customers outside The Tiki Turtle Cafe.
The Tiki Turtle Cafe is a new lunch spot launched by The Arc of Hilo that gives young adults with disabilities another way to gain work experience in a safe environment.
The Arc of Hilo is a nonprofit that provides work opportunities for people with disabilities, where young adults can gain real world experience in laundry services, janitorial positions, lawn care, hospitality, and now, culinary arts.
The Arc of Hilo’s CEO Robert Efford and Events and Hospitality Director Binil Chacko have been trying to create more opportunities through its the school-to-work program.
“The Tiki Turtle Cafe is a natural extension of our vision to create a palate of vocational tracks for youth with disabilities. Not everyone wants to be a janitor, nor should that be their only choice,” Efford said. “We want to prepare them to work for restaurants and hotels, and acquire transferable skills like customer service and money management. “
Chacko runs the front end of the Tiki Turtle, with help from The Arc’s young adults, by taking orders and payments and handing out the Dole whip ice cream.
Chacko helped develop the cafe, which is based on The Arc of Miami’s culinary program that his brother participates in, as well as the Java Joy coffee truck in Atlanta, which only employees people with disabilities and has been wildly successful.
“I was thinking to myself: How do we make something of quality that inspires them and provides them an opportunity to make a sustainable, living wage?” Chacko said. “We now have about seven people working through the week, and they love it.”
Hamakawa worked in the kitchen on Friday afternoon and has enjoyed the process of improving his culinary skills.
“I love working here because it gives me the basics and principles of culinary jobs. I’m going to graduate from Hawaii Community College from the culinary program while also learning all these different things in the kitchen,” Hamakawa said. “I’m taking small steps now so I can take big steps in becoming a sushi chef, which is what I want to do in the future.”
Hamakawa came to The Arc of Hilo after his father found out about its job programs.
“Originally, I was going to work at Little Caesars, and they asked me if I could handle certain things, and I couldn’t,” Hamakawa said. “That’s why I came to The Arc, because I can have a job that sustains and nurtures through the work,” “You can work at your own pace despite disability.”
The Arc has partnered with chef Lee Soares and Pacific Mix Catering to craft a menu that’s a fusion of expertise and innovation, but that also provides young adults plenty of opportunities to learn how to work in a kitchen.
Soares works with The Arc’s young adults to prepare cold and hot dishes, and to learn about kitchen safety and how to stay calm in a stressful environment.
Chacko hopes the program helps more young adults feel comfortable working in hospitality and food service, so they can build confidence and experience that’s necessary for a fast-paced environment.
“My dream is to see our folks walk into a restaurant and be able to show them their experience in food preparation, taking payments and customer service. That’s the dream,” Chacko said. “We want our folks to know there is more for them out there, even though so many places and people have told them otherwise.”
The Arc has helped hundreds of adults with disabilities learn how to lead productive, community-driven lives through work opportunities, and the nonprofit’s leaders plan to continue expanding and implementing new ideas.
“To see them feel fulfilled and knowing that they fed a family or they fed their loved ones, I mean that is such a cool think to watch happen,” Chacko said. “They are rising to the challenge, and many of them will be pursuing culinary careers outside of The Arc one day.”
The Tiki Turtle Cafe is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday at The Arc of Hilo on Waianuenue Avenue. Online ordering is available at tikiturtlehi.com.
More information The Arc and its programs can be found online at arcofhilo.org.
Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com.