Kim Molnar is behind the counter at Miller’s Brew coffee shop among her crew of employees. She is hustling to make lattes and espressos for her customers, and she has lost track of time.
Approached for a scheduled interview, she flashes a look of panic after glancing at the clock on the wall.
“Oh, is that today?”
Swiftly wiping her hands on her jeans, she reaches out to shake hands.
Her hand is still wet.
It’s lunchtime, and Molnar and her crew are busy.
“I may have to leave in a moment,” she says, looking over her shoulder. “I’m the only one who knows how to work one of our machines back there.”
Two years ago, Molnar was one of four recognized for giving back to their community with the 2021 Power of Giving Community Impact Awards. And she’s yet to slow down.
On Feb. 18, her community organization, Miller’s Crew, moved into Phase 3 of its plan to expand opportunity for special-needs people. Molnar and her family opened Miller’s Brew, a nonprofit coffee shop in the heart of Haymount that employs and trains teenagers and adults, giving them a chance at a fuller life.
The shop employs about 20 special-needs adults who serve coffee, smoothies and pastries, the latter provided by Superior Bakery.
“We had a grand opening, and it was phenomenal. The community support was outstanding,” says Molnar. “It was nonstop and flying out the door from 8 a.m. to
3 p.m.”
Miller’s Brew is open those hours Tuesday through Saturday.
A well of compassion
Molnar is a licensed speech pathologist and former speech therapist for Cumberland County Schools. Her journey helping people with special needs began the moment her son Miller was born in 2003. Miller was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
According to Molnar, Miller has taught his family just as much about life as they have taught him.
Molnar says after Miller was born, she realized there was a lack of vocational training resources in Fayetteville for people with special needs. Correcting that for an often marginalized group of people has become her passion.
Her research and planning outlined three phases, the first of which was to establish high school training labs. Currently, Miller’s Crew operates 10 in-school cafes in area high schools where students work.
Phase 2 included a working food truck to provide mobile, hands-on training in food prep and communicating with customers.
“During Phase 2, we had so many families contacting us, we didn’t have room on the truck,” she says.
Phase 3 was to open a brick-and-mortar business that would provide vocational training. Molnar says she knew it was time for the final phase when she didn’t have enough space on the food truck to accommodate all those who needed help.
“Now we have three crew members back there. We’re able to fit more crew members in on a daily basis in three-hour shifts, five days a week.”
Once the crew members gain experience and are ready for other employment, she helps them find a job with her community partners.
“We train our crew members for employability and to either stay here or move on to the line of work they want to be a part of.”
Molnar says the Haymount shop offers a consistent location and job stability that the food truck could not provide.
On a larger scale, Molnar’s work for those with special needs has provided young people who lacked opportunity a newfound dignity and ownership of their future, she says.
Meet the crew
As Molnar introduces some of her crew, her countenance transforms and takes on a glow.
Brooke Strickland is from Fayetteville and has two sisters. She can be shy around people she doesn’t know. When she’s not working, she enjoys rock climbing and playing video games.
“Mortal Kombat is my favorite game,” she says.
Brooke is training on the cafe’s toast system.
“I like greeting people and serving,” says Brooke, who adds that she loves working and plans to stay at Miller’s Brew to get better at her job.
Clarence Gillis is 35 years old and a native of Fayetteville.
Miller’s Brew gave Clarence his first job and the opportunity to learn skills.
Clarence also works in the cafe’s toast system and takes customers’ orders and helps with deliveries. Clarence loves to drink coffee and assists the barista.
When he is not working, he volunteers as an usher at his church. He also loves hanging out with his friends and playing video games.
Nate Anderson’s nickname is “Nate the Great.”
“Nate can do everything and run the place,” Molnar says. “He’s not a talker; he’s a worker bee.”
Nate is 19 years old and attended Jack Britt High School. He’s the middle of three brothers.
In just 11 days at Miller’s Brew, he had learned to do everything, Molnar says. The job has helped him get over being shy and improved his communication skills.
“I was nervous, and I didn’t like talking to people, and it helped me open up and talk to strangers,” says Nate, who plans to stay at Miller’s Brew a while longer.
Where the magic happens
Drive up to Miller’s Brew at 1401 Morganton Road and the smell of roasted coffee beans permeates the air.
The building is a former BB&T bank branch. Its drive-up teller window was cleverly repurposed to serve walk-up customers with fresh coffee and pastries rather than dispense deposit slips.
Outside, tables with chairs hanging on chains provide customers a different way to enjoy their coffee. Molnar’s husband, Karl Molnar, built the swings himself for a coffee garden feel.
“I like different,” says Kim Molnar.
Inside, it’s not your typical coffee house. Instead of brown décor in different shades, the seats are bright blue, and one wall is painted with colorful flowers bursting with life.
The Molnar family has given the cafe and its employees a new purpose.
On the back of a thick metal door that once protected the vault rest about 20 magnetic name tags. Each bears the handwritten name of an employee awaiting his shift.
What once was closed to all but a select few is now open to everyone.
