Glenn Hutchinson pulls in customers to the café that bears his name.
He stands at the door of Glenn’s Café, a fast-casual restaurant in a Mableton strip shopping center. His job out front is to be friendly, and he takes great pleasure in the responsibility.
He waves with hands clad in his favorite Green Bay Packers gloves, opens the door for customers, and gives his signature smile so big his eyes seem to shut.
Credit: Phil Skinner
Credit: Phil Skinner
Owners Jason and Patricia Walesh opened the café two years ago, with Jason’s younger brother, Glenn, who has Down syndrome, as the face of the business.
The café provides meaningful employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities and fosters a welcoming, accessible environment.
“One of the things we want to do is to showcase ability,” said Jason. “We let Glenn thrive, and don’t put higher expectations on him. He’s great at doing this, and he loves people.”
The brothers run the café, with Glenn greeting and cleaning and Jason handling everything else. Patricia works a full-time job, then helps serve food and greet customers on weekends.
Credit: Phil Skinner
Credit: Phil Skinner
The Waleshes operate on a shoestring budget and have grown the business through word of mouth. In the early days, Glenn would walk up and down the sidewalk wearing his “Follow me to Glenn’s Cafe” T-shirt.
Now, regular customers give him hugs, fist bumps, and sometimes gifts.
“I think they’re more excited to see Glenn than they are to come in and sit down and order food,” Patricia said.
Credit: Phil Skinner
Credit: Phil Skinner
The café is a welcoming space for the Down syndrome community.
Long-term, the Waleshes aim to provide employment and volunteer opportunities for individuals with special needs.
In January, Glenn’s Café will launch a partnership with Cobb County schools, offering a work program for students with disabilities.
“That’s the start of what we want to do, which is to have more folks with special needs be represented in the community instead of the background,” said Jason.
During holidays, Glenn’s Café supports nonprofits that serve the Down syndrome community and others with unique needs through fundraisers.
For Christmas, they design, decorate and sell paper ornaments with proceeds going to nonprofits.
The art mixes well with the café’s style, as eclectic artwork and colorful murals — much of it created by the Waleshes — decorate the dining area.
Jason and Patricia, both 53, have 15 years of experience working in restaurants, and have always dreamed of opening their own someday. Jason had researched the idea for years.
They also knew that Glenn, almost 45, would someday come to live with them.
Jason and Glenn grew up in south Florida with “an unbreakable bond,” said Patricia. Jason knew growing up that he would one day take care of his younger brother full time.
When their father was diagnosed with dementia three and a half years ago, the Waleshes decided the time was right to have Glenn move from Florida to their home in Mableton.
They needed to figure out a way to care for Glenn and also involve him in the community.
“We thought, let’s just lean into that pipe dream and open a café,” said Patricia.
The couple came up with a mission — “Great Food with the Fusion of Inclusion” — and designed a “Yum Food” logo featuring a smiley face with a tongue hanging out and Glenn’s crescent eyes, which is “a little nod to him and the happiness that he brings,” Patricia said.
Credit: Phil Skinner
Credit: Phil Skinner
The menu started small — featuring four sandwiches and a couple of salads — but now boasts a daily special board and continues to expand.
Most of the offerings are recipes from Jason’s restaurant experience, as well as other flavors and dishes the couple enjoys.
They’ve been recognized by Cobb County Travel and Tourism as one of the county’s hidden culinary gems.
“It’s very rewarding to see how the community has embraced what we’re offering and to see the connection that Glenn has, too,” said Patricia.
Glenn said that he loves doing chores and interacting with the customers. He knows the regulars by name and what they usually order.
He also opens the door for other shop owners and goes line dancing with Patricia on Thursday nights at the Mable House Arts Center.
“Glenn is the face of the café,” said Jason. “He’s the reason why we were doing it. Had he not come, I would be in something else. It was the perfect opportunity to do something.”
GLENN’S CAFE
5015 Floyd Road SW #620, Mableton
Open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Learn more at glennscafe220221.com/
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