Boy With Autism Inspired Family To Open Salisbury Coffee House
MONCTON – A small family coffee shop will open at the end of the month on Main Street in Salisbury.
Aaron Nielson says it was inspired by his 13-year-old son Autistic son, Makhi.
“The idea behind Aaron’s Coffee House was that we wanted to make sure that our youngest son who has Autism, has a future. It just kind of brainstormed into, well, if we are going to give him the opportunity for some independence, some social interaction and some income, we might as well do that for others as well,” Nielson says.
The shop will serve all-natural coffee and baked goods. Nielson says one of the items is mini donuts because his son will only eat bite-sized food.
“Right now, the biggest thing is trying to get everything in order for Covid-19. There are so many rules and regulations that need to be followed. It is just making sure that all of my I’s are dotted and my T’s are crossed and that everything is lined up perfectly,” Nielson says.
The hope is to open Aaron’s Coffee House on August 24.
“I am hoping to hold a soft opening and see what the demand is for my hours. Then, once there is funding for renovations, we can get the renovations done, and we’ll hold the grand opening. We want to be able to spread awareness, ‘One Cup at a time’,” Nielson says.
His hope is, once the shop is more established, to hire others with special needs.
Tara Clow is the news director with 91.9 The Bend, a Huddle content partner.