Coffee for a Cause: Bitty & Beau’s Opens in Frisco

If you watch Love on the Spectrum for its purely unadulterated wholesome content (guilty), Bitty & Beau’s is the type of venue that may appeal to you. Java with a hit of heart, B&B bills itself as “a human rights movement disguised as a coffee shop.”

After learning that more than 80% of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are unemployed nationwide, founders Amy and Ben Wright decided to do something about it. Parents to four kids — Lillie, Emma Grace, Beau and Bitty — Lillie was born with autism, and both Beau and Bitty have Down syndrome.

The first Bitty & Beau’s opened in Wilmington, North Carolina, in 2016. It has grown into a nationwide movement that employs over 450 individuals with disabilities nationwide, providing meaningful work and a place where they feel valued. Their latest venue? Frisco near The Star development. It’s their third location in Texas (joining Houston and Waco) and the first in North Texas.

Local franchise owners Mandye and David Robinson met while serving as Frisco police officers and have eight children together: one adopted and one biological with Down syndrome. Both 8 years old, they aren’t old enough to clock in just yet, but a few of their older siblings are already part of the team. For the Robinsons, opening Bitty & Beau’s was a way to blend passion with purpose — a chance to champion inclusion while investing in a meaningful business opportunity for their family. The Frisco shop employs about 40 people, including 30 with a range of intellectual and developmental disabilities, supported by a crew of 10 shift leads.
You won’t find complicated single-origin pour-overs here, but that’s not the point. The menu sticks to the classics, hot and cold coffees, frappes, smoothies, and playful flavors like toasted marshmallow, cotton candy and spiced brown sugar. Seasonal peach and cherry teas come with popping boba, making for a crisp and refreshing drink. A piña colada smoothie is currently on tap for summer.

A few light bites are available to satisfy your snack cravings, bagels, muffins and cookies, along with some colorful treats like rainbow bagels, Fruity Pebbles rice crispy bars, and cake pops, if you need a little mood boost. For something a bit more filling, they also offer sweet or spicy chicken, waffles, and breakfast burritos.
Open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. for about a month now, they say it’s been going well, and business is steady. A welcoming yet hot (read: uncovered) patio has games like cornhole and Connect Four to encourage hanging around. Shift leaders help staff make drinks by following a binder of recipes and writing cheerful notes on the cups. A pin board adorns the wall to mark where you’re visiting from, and a corner of merchandise proclaims messages like “radically inclusive.”

They’re just proud to be a place where everyone is welcome.

If you’re hungry for more heartwarming eats, swing by Austin's Underdogs in Fort Worth for hot dogs with purpose, or check out Hugs Café in McKinney, another food-fueled social enterprise.

Bitty and Beau's, 6560 John Hickman Parkway (Frisco), Open daily 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.