PARK CITY, Utah — If you stop by Lucky Ones Coffee inside the Park City Library, you'll find espresso drinks, smiling faces, and plenty of regular customers, but the mission behind the counter goes far beyond the menu.
Lucky Ones is a non-profit coffee shop focused on employing and empowering people with disabilities. Since opening in 2018, the organization has grown to two locations: one inside the Park City Library and another in the Marmalade Library in Salt Lake City.
For employee Julianna "Jules" Faulkner, the shop has become more than a workplace.
"I had an interview with Katie here, and I liked that the question they gave me is, 'What is your favorite candy and why?'" Faulkner recalled.
Her answer? Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Faulkner said saying yes to the job at Lucky Ones was just as easy.
"I see lots of people with Down syndrome, which makes my day a lot," said Faulkner, who has Down syndrome herself.
Over the years, Faulkner has grown into a leadership role and now helps train new employees. It's opportunities like this co-owner Taylor Matkins says she thought there should be more of.
"We really just saw a need that our crew was not being employed," Matkins said. "They were getting a lot of internships, but there was really no place for that next step so we really saw a space we could fill."
Matkins said many employees at Lucky Ones now work 20 to 30 hours a week, but the impact goes beyond the job skills and paychecks. For many workers, Lucky Ones has become a place to build friendships and community. In fact, many employees choose to celebrate their birthdays at the shop. For Faulker, it even became a love story.
"When he came here with his parents and I was behind the counter, I was like, 'Helloooo,'" Faulkner said, reminiscing when she saw her boyfriend for the first time.
Faulkner met her boyfriend at the coffee shop, and later during her birthday celebration, he officially asked her to be his girlfriend.
"I was speechless," Faulkner said.
Now, Faulkner hopes her story inspires others with disabilities to pursue opportunities they may not have thought possible.
"I always say to them, 'Maybe someday you can get a job here and work with us.'"
Matkins hopes the concept continues to grow.
"I would like lucky ones to be in libraries across the country," she said. "I think it's such an impactful place. It's a great place for us to come in and be at the forefront of communities."
Lucky Ones Coffee is open inside the Park City Library from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. They also have their second location inside the Marmalade Library in Salt Lake City.
