I recently was with my daughter and we were looking for a cup of coffee in the peninsula of Charleston and came across Bitty & Beau’s Coffee. I had heard about Bitty & Beau’s and their unique story and decided that I should give it a try.
Bitty & Beau’s originally opened in Wilmington, NC in 2016 and they opened up their Charleston shop in 2018. The owners of Bitty & Beau’s are Amy Wright and her husband. The Wright’s have four children, two of which have Down syndrome. The Wright’s were determined to create a better place for their children and others living in the world with disabilities. Knowing that over 80% of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are unemployed nationwide, the Wright’s decided they wanted to create a business that shows value, inclusion and acceptance of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and from that idea was born Bitty & Beau’s Coffee.
Four years later and Bitty & Beau’s now has four coffee shops in Wilmington NC, Charleston SC, Savannah GA and Annapolis MD. They currently employ 80 people with disabilities and have been featured on The Today Show, Rachael Ray, CNN, Harry, Good Morning America, Dr. Oz, HLN, People Magazine and Southern Living Magazine. In 2017 founder Amy Wrights was named a CNN Hero of the Year.
My trip to Bitty & Beau’s didn’t disappoint at all. The shop rivals any Starbucks and the staff was friendly and full of a contagious spirit of joy. There was a line to order and many patrons were taking selfies next to Bitty & Beau’s signs and checking out the various shirts, mugs, and other items for sale that go to support the cause of Bitty & Beau’s. Our order was prepared quickly and handed to us with a smile. This trip was more than a couple of cups of coffee. It was a re-affirmation that the world is still good and that we are all one world family who should support each other. Thank you Bitty & Beau’s for reminding me about this, and making my day brighter. I have found my new favorite coffee shop in Charleston.
Bitty & Beau’s is located at 159 Church Street, Charleston SC 28403.
You can get more information about Bitty & Beau’s from their website: https://www.bittyandbeauscoffee.com/