'Happy' cafes
'Happy' cafes  
Podcast: The Food Chain
Published On: Wed Jul 10 2024
Description: Of the tens of millions of people around the world with autism or down syndrome, only a tiny fraction is in paid employment. But cooking, making drinks and waiting tables is work where people with learning disabilities can shine. John Laurenson takes us to a Café Joyeux (Happy Café) in Paris, one of a fast-growing chain of cafe-restaurants where most of the staff have autism or down syndrome and where the croque monsieur comes with a smile. We also hear from a cafe in Mumbai launched by the mother whose daughter has autism and, in Turkey, the KFCs with a difference. Find out how café work can transform the lives of employees and owners. Presenter/Producer: John Laurenson(Image: Louis, Laura, Anne-France and Arnaud. Credit: BBC)