Café Riverview in Sandwich serves students and the public
Students with learning disabilities gain job skills at their new cafe
Hallie Puttrich is not shy. And that’s a plus for anyone working the counter at the new Cafe Riverview on scenic Route 6A.
“They hired me because I’m a very good people person,’’ said Puttrich, 21, a student at the nearby Riverview School,
which owns the cafe. “I love to talk, so it’s a perfect thing for me to do.’’
Puttrich, who works the counter, is one of 16 students here under the supervision of employees of the school, a facility for the learning disabled ages 11 to 22.
“This is our best venue for our kids to work with the public,’’ said Kerry Macurdy, the school’s vocational specialist.
The restaurant, serving breakfast and lunch, is open to the public, and so far, patrons couldn’t be happier.
“You need to try a muffin, they’re light as air, honestly,’’ said Nancy Curci, who with her husband, Chuck, is becoming a regular at the cafe.
Riverview School, founded in 1956 by educator William Janse, holds the first license issued by the state to run a special-needs boarding school. Tuition, room, and board is about $71,000 a year.
The cafe opened in early March in a cedar-shingled, barn-style building that also houses the school’s Second View Thrift Store, where students also work. The restaurant space, which had been used for storage, was renovated into the bright and airy cafe space with a large dining area and a huge front counter, where unusual delicacies such as See’s Candy (usually only sold out West) are sold. Student art hangs on the soft-yellow walls. There’s a deck out front with chairs and benches for sunning and sipping.
Virtually all the food served is made here, in a small but well-equipped kitchen. Those light-as-air muffins run $2 each, and the filling breakfast panini start at $3.25. Lunch sandwiches include items like the Cheever, a meld of cheddar, Havarti, and Gruyère cheese, with sliced tomato on white bread for $7.25. The cafe also has a variety of fresh-made salads and soups.
“People are really nice here,’’ said Jay Schatz, 21, a student at Riverview for the past seven years.
Among other things, Schatz washes dishes, serves orders to customers, and buses tables. “It’s a fun environment,’’ he said.
Rick Quast, who runs Cannings, a three-generation gas station, stopped by one morning to pick up a handful of menus to hand out to his customers. “We’re local and we like supporting other local businesses,’’ Quast said. “This is a great new place.’’
“The kids here are terrific. They even know my name by now, and how I like my coffee,’’ said Heather Pannell. “There’s nothing like this on this end of town. It’s great for people going to East Sandwich Beach, Sandy Neck Beach, or Scorton Creek.’’
An added plus, she said, was finding out about the student-run thrift shop, which sells clothes and jewelry. Some men’s shirts, for example, go for $3, pants for $4. Students’ parents are the main donors of items.
The cafe and the shop are part of the school’s G.R.O.W. curriculum (Getting Ready for the Outside World), a 10-month program designed to give post-secondary students the skills needed to work outside of school.
“We also work with Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and send some of our kids there to work,’’ Macurdy said. “Our students graduate with a portfolio, resume, and recommendations in hand, so when they go out to look for a job, they’re not starting from scratch.’’
“The skills here are all valuable and transferrable,’’ said Taryn Hallett, the cafe manager. “We made sure the equipment here was things they’ll see in the restaurant industry — convection ovens, large tabletop can openers, and point-of-sales computer systems.
“We make sure they have the most realistic experience so they can be competitive in the market,’’ she said. “They can find work in restaurants, grocery stores, cafes, school cafeterias.’’
The cafe menu is designed by staff members who teach food prep and cooking skills to the students. Several of the students also attend Cape Cod Community College to study culinary arts, including Puttrich, who said, “My dream job is to be a cake decorator some day.’’
The biggest benefit to the students is gaining not just work skills but confidence.
“Alex Ford, one of our students, was so nervous at first, unsure of himself. But one day recently, he said, ‘I’m taking over’ and expedited all orders for that day, about
a hundred of them,’’ Hallett said. “After, he walked out in the dining room, saw all the happy faces, came back to the kitchen, and said, ‘That is so cool.’ ’’
Students show enthusiasm for the job, a youthful innocence that their supervisors find energizing and inspiring, said Tom Spencer, a job coach and barista at the cafe where organic coffee is served in a variety of creations.
“Honestly, you find yourself learning as much from them as they do from you,’’ Spencer said. “These are mostly teenagers with disabilities — not disabled teens. They’re fun to be around, they’re so excited about everything. They pride themselves on being in a workplace. The things we take for granted, they look forward to 10 times more.’’
“I’m having a blast. In the six years I’ve been working at Riverview, this is probably the most fun I’ve had,’’ Hallett said. “The kids love the job and the experience. That sense of pride, you can’t help but feel it. The smile on their faces at the end of a busy day when they’ve achieved something . . . it’s just amazing.’’
Cafe Riverview 451 Route 6A, Sandwich, 508-833-8365, www.caferiverview.org, breakfast from $1.95, lunch from $5.25.
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