Omaha Restaurant Empowers Individuals With Disabilities Through Work Experience

Stephanie Goodrich Transitions from Special Education to Downtown Omaha Dining

Stephanie Goodrich, a former special education teacher in Omaha Public Schools, has spent the last three years operating The Brunch Box in downtown Omaha with a specific mission: providing a stable, inclusive workplace for individuals with disabilities. Initially, Goodrich considered launching a consulting firm to assist other businesses in hiring individuals with diverse needs. However, she found that starting her own restaurant offered a more direct way to model the inclusive environment she envisioned. “I left teaching. I was determined to create maybe like a consulting company that would help those businesses, which I did, but I still continue to see that gap. So I decided, well, I’ll open up a restaurant myself and start here,” Goodrich told KETV.

Building a Workplace Focused on Individual Strengths

The Brunch Box operates through partnerships with local organizations to facilitate work experience for staff members. When the restaurant first opened, approximately 40% of the staff identified as having a disability, ranging from ADHD to Down syndrome. Goodrich emphasizes that the restaurant’s operational philosophy is centered on identifying individual strengths rather than focusing on limitations. By assessing the unique support needs of every employee—regardless of whether they have a documented disability—the restaurant creates a team environment designed to maximize the potential of every staff member.

Here is their limitations. What we really do is find everybody’s strengths and then what supports they need, disability or not, and create a team environment that supports everyone.

Addressing the Employment Gap for People with Disabilities

By providing structured work experience, businesses like The Brunch Box serve as a bridge, allowing individuals to gain the professional skills necessary to transition into long-term, stable employment elsewhere in the local economy. The shift requires not just a willingness to hire, but a commitment to the specific training and environmental adjustments that Goodrich describes as essential to her team’s success. As The Brunch Box continues its operations in downtown Omaha, it remains an example of how a business owner can provide individuals with disabilities a supportive workplace environment and opportunities to gain work experience.