ATHENS – Mitzi Lou’s sees the ability, not the disability. Located at 817 W. Union St., in Athens, Ohio, customers can order a variety of subs, wraps, paninis, pizza, soups and side dishes. Each dish is hand-crafted and prepared by dedicated employees with great focus and care. While Mizi Lou’s is a restaurant, it’s also a training facility for individuals with developmental disabilities. In addition, it provides a safe place for individuals with learning disabilities to work and become more involved in the community.
On Facebook, their “About” section is simple. It reads, “At the center and heart of Mitzi Lou’s will be individuals with learning differences. Stop in, say Hi!”
Mitzi Lou’s, named after the owners’ mothers, has been operating since May 2022. The idea, however, sprouted in October 2021 when Tami Bay and her husband, Buck, purchased a building in Athens to bring their organization, Southern Ohio Adventures and Recreation (SOAR), into Athens County. SOAR originated in Vinton County and soon began expanding into Athens, Galia, Jackson, Ross, and Washington counties to offer services to individuals with disabilities and provide them with outlets for community engagement and opportunities for employment.
The building they purchased belonged to Sweet Arts Bakery & Cafe and thus had a restaurant attached to it. When the Bays discovered this, the next step was an undeniable one.
“My husband and I saw the deli part where the bakery used to be and he turned to me and said ‘why don’t we just start a little pizza place in here?’ and I said ‘oh okay!’” said Bay.
In addition to the Bays working as employees, their oldest son and youngest daughter also work there. Outside of family, Mitzi Lou’s also employs individuals with disabilities like Marilyn Tucker. Tucker is 47 years old and has been employed at Mitzi Lou’s since June 2022. She started as a dishwasher and quickly moved up to food preparation. Now, she is training to prepare the food and cook.
Randy Hougland, 58, is a dishwasher who comes into Mitzi Lou’s for work two days a week. Hougland also cleans and stocks coolers at the restaurant. Both Tucker and Hougland work at minimum wage and are offered flexible hours.
“We also have had several individuals come in groups to learn what we do. They fix their own lunch; they are preparing to graduate high school and wanted to visit to see if (our restaurant) may be something they would want to do after graduation,” Bay said. “I think watching individuals grow and learn is the most rewarding thing about Mitzi Lou’s. It gives them hope that something is out there in this big world for them.”
Eventually, Bay wishes to get a vocational program running in the building in addition to the restaurant. Getting the program into operation will allow more individuals with disabilities to be trained on health department rules and kitchen safety, give them job opportunities and get them out in the community.
“We’ll start having more individuals back there. It’s helped the community because many people don’t know about the troubles that [those with disabilities] have getting into the community,” Bay said. “Plus, having a restaurant doesn’t hurt nobody. I believe that there’s not a lot of food on that end of the town. A lot of people have come in and are very appreciative of the food we offer. Good quality food, get our individuals in there, and I’ve always said ‘I’m not here to break money, I’m just here to break even.’”
August Steinmetz is a student journalist with Tri-County Career Center and High School’s New Media+ program. This article originally appeared on The 360, a publication of the New Media+ program at Tri-County Career Center.
