Kerry and DaVinci Gourmet partner with local coffee shop
Not far from Kerry’s North American headquarters is a coffee shop that pours more than just a strong cup of coffee. Inspired Coffee pours its heart and soul into its mission.
Located in Lake Geneva, Wis., Inspired Coffee hires, trains and coaches workers who have physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities. As part of a 12-month program, the workers gain skills in a real-world foodservice setting in hopes of graduating with a newfound sense of confidence and independence.
Inspired Coffee’s mission mirrors the values held by Kerry
Kerry began as a community effort to improve the lives of farmers, and since then, Kerry has gone on to partner with suppliers, customers, and communities around the world to help source, innovate and create better food and beverage products.
It’s that expertise that is guiding a partnership between Kerry, DaVinci Gourmet, and Inspired Coffee.
During a half-day session with Inspired Coffee’s staff in April of 2022, Kerry’s trainers talked about product innovation, attracting new customers, and 15 ways to become more sustainable.
Jessie Bongiorno, General Manager of Inspired Coffee, said she is looking forward to the future.
“To be able to work together with Kerry to impart all of this wonderful knowledge about crafting beverages is only going to grow our workers’ experiences and grow our business,” said Bongiorno. “In turn, that’s going to help everyone in our training program to have really great opportunities when they leave here.”
As part of the partnership, Kerry will provide ongoing training for Inspired Coffee’s staff, as well as product and merchandise support.
Creating a sustainable future, together
Kerry’s goal is to reach over two billion people by 2030 with sustainable nutrition solutions, to create a better world for people, the planet, and society. That goal cannot be accomplished without creating the highest levels of diversity, inclusion, belonging, and engagement in foodservice.
“Every store we help make successful saves one of our most precious resources – people,” said Dennis Domek, who is a Director of Quality at Kerry. “People need a chance to be useful and belong. You will never meet a friendlier, more welcoming group of people than at Inspired Coffee.”
Additional Sustainability Resources:
Learn about the 15 ways your business can become more sustainable
