Coffee Uniting People

Coffee Uniting People is a nonprofit coffee shop group with six Tampa Bay locations, where baristas with and without disabilities pull shots, plate pastries and train new hires side by side. Founded in 2021 by Greg and Laura Jones to create jobs for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, it runs on a mixed team of more than 50 people. The team roasts its own beans, which are sold as single bags and through a monthly Coffee Club subscription.

The downtown shop is at EMBARC Collective and keeps weekday morning and early afternoon hours. Other locations include the South Tampa flagship on Dale Mabry, two BayCare Health sites and a Tampa General Hospital partnership. The group also sets up pop-up coffee bars for weddings, corporate events and gatherings, and sells tickets to an annual fundraising evening. Donations are tax-deductible.