ALPINE, Calif. (KGTV) — A new restaurant in Alpine is breaking barriers by hiring people who might have had a hard time finding jobs elsewhere. Pizzabilities is not just making pizza – it's creating purpose and opportunity for employees with special needs and disabilities.
Grace Baker is sprinkling cheese and spreading toppings on pizza dough for her very first job. When asked about her sauce preference, she doesn't hesitate.
"Six scoops," Baker said. "I like it saucy."
Baker was one of the first employees hired when Pizzabilities opened two weeks ago. She was also the inspiration behind the business.
"She was born with special needs. She has Down syndrome and when school was over, it was kind of like, 'What do we do next?'" said Josh Baker, Grace's father and co-owner of Pizzabilities.
Josh Baker says it was difficult finding his daughter employment after high school, which led to the decision to open a restaurant specifically designed to hire people with special needs and disabilities.
"It's getting out there quickly that we're known to hire people with special needs and they don't have to feel awkward or weird coming in because they know we're looking for them," Baker said.
The restaurant has hired approximately 20 people so far, creating a safe space and opportunity for employees to develop new skills.
"It's really cool to be able to see them getting to participate in the work community and feel like everybody else," Baker said.
"The biggest thing I'm seeing is they're just being treated like everybody else with all our employees," he added.
Baker hopes to open more locations throughout San Diego County, giving more people like his daughter a chance to shine.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
