A new social enterprise café, The Plant Room, has launched at HammondCare’s flagship aged care home in Hammondville, Sydney, providing supported employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
The café, operated by The Disability Trust, builds on the success of its first Plant Room Café at HammondCare’s Horsley dementia care village, the first Australian café of its kind to be co-located within a dementia care community.
Under the guidance of hatted chef Lorenzo Pagnan, The Plant Room offers barista-made coffee and fresh, high-quality food for residents, their loved ones, staff, and the wider Hammondville community.
The initiative not only enhances the café experience at Hammondville but also empowers supported employees with real-life hospitality experience.
HammondCare CEO Andrew Thorburn, who officially opened the café alongside The Disability Trust’s Acting Chief Executive Officer Tarryn Bracken on 27 February, expressed his enthusiasm for the project.
“We are delighted that a wonderful venture like this that can change the lives of supported employees will be part of our Hammondville community,” Mr Thorburn said.
“With this café, there is a wonderful alignment of HammondCare’s Mission and Values with those of The Disability Trust. We know from our experience working with The Disability Trust organisation at Horsley that this will be another big success story.”
The new café further strengthens the relationship between HammondCare and The Disability Trust, with both organisations committed to creating inclusive spaces that foster skills development and independence for people with disabilities.
Mathew McIntyre, The Disability Trust’s Chief Operating Officer – Employment & Enterprises, highlighted the importance of the initiative in providing meaningful employment pathways.
“The Disability Trust’s philosophy is to create a more inclusive world through employees and customers alike having a fantastic experience,” he said.
“Our goal with this venture is to develop the skills and experience of our supported employees so they can pursue open employment in the hospitality industry, should they choose to do so, and to maximise the chances of that transition being a great experience for them and their future employers.”
Each supported employee at The Plant Room sets personal goals before joining the team, outlining where they see themselves in 12-18 months. They also receive training on how to sensitively engage with people living with dementia.
One such employee, 27-year-old Oliver, is excited about his role at the new café. “I have many jobs to do including taking orders, serving food, washing dishes and cleaning up,” he said.
Oliver, an avid traveller, has already visited Las Vegas and Los Angeles and is looking forward to an April cruise to the South Pacific Islands.
With a menu similar to the Horsley café, Hammondville’s Plant Room will serve a variety of fresh dishes, including its signature chicken schnitzel wrap.
“The cabbage gives it a real crunch. It’s got a real Asian flavour to it,” said Chef Lorenzo Pagnan, who has run acclaimed Illawarra restaurants such as Ristorante Due Mezzi, Sweet Lips and The Cheeky Fig.
Two supported employees and two café coordinators will be on-site at any time, ensuring a welcoming and vibrant atmosphere for visitors.
The Plant Room Café at Hammondville is now open to the public Monday to Saturday from 8am to 3pm, inviting everyone to enjoy great coffee and food while supporting a truly inclusive initiative.
