LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Enjoying a cup of coffee at Dig It! Coffee gives the kind of boost that will stay with you all day and it’s not because of the caffeine. It’s because of the people.
It’s a new coffee shop in the Arts District. The sign is up and the beans are brewing but when you walk into this coffee house, you’ll leave with more than just a cup of joe.
Dig It! Coffee embraces and celebrates uniqueness inspiring people of all abilities.
“It’s not just about disabilities. It’s about everyone working together and kind of providing a place where everyone feels like they belong,” said Taylor Chaney, the owner and founder. “My little sister Lindsey is kind of my inspiration for everything. She was born with down syndrome. I really wanted to provide her and her peers opportunities that they don’t necessarily have.”
It’s about teamwork. It is creating a space where everyone is welcome and where the future is bright.
“It’s something that I think about, you know. What can she do when she gets older? Where will she fit in? This place is it,” said Jessica Drake, who is the mother of a special needs daughter.
“I can’t even tell you what that means because I wish that my mom or all parents would have something like this so that they could see a future for their children and know that there’s not a limit on possibilities, that there’s so much potential,” Chaney said.
In this coffee house, you don’t have to look hard to see it.
“There’s a whole community just thriving. They may have an intellectual disability. It may take them a little bit longer but they’re thriving. They’re living,” said Dana O’Keefe, who has a special needs daughter.
Not only does Dig It! offer the basics, but there are also extras.
“Our bathwater is famous. It comes with a fun little surprise — a rubber ducky on top.”
What you see on the outside doesn’t even come close to the goodness within.
“There’s nothing down about it. We are part of the lucky few,” O’Keefe said.
Dig It! is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Taylor said one of the things she’s most proud of is that they offer a competitive wage and she added there’s been no shortage of people who want to work there.
