Funding made possible by the MLK Health & Wellness Community Development Corporation

Special Flavours: Workforce Development

Good Food. Real Skills. Community Impact. 

Powered by Neurodivergent Adults.

A first paycheck. A recipe prepared independently. The confidence to greet a customer. A business idea beginning to take shape.

At Special Needs Network, these moments are part of what drives Special Flavours.

Our Flavourista Culinary Arts & Hospitality Training Program gives neurodivergent adults opportunities to learn, practice, and contribute through hands-on training and paid workforce experiences. Through Special Flavours Community Kitchen and Sip & Scoop Mobile Artisan Café, participants explore their strengths and build skills they can carry into work and everyday life.

Our Mission

We create opportunities for neurodivergent adults to build culinary and hospitality skills, gain meaningful work experience, and pursue their goals with individualized support.

We want participants to experience the pride of contributing, the confidence that comes with practice, and the possibility of a future shaped by their own interests.

Our Vison

We envision a community where neurodivergent adults have access to meaningful employment, where workplaces recognize their strengths, and where the support someone needs does not limit the opportunities they receive.

We’re working toward that future—one participant, one skill, and one opportunity at a time.

Why This Work Matters

Finding a path into employment can be difficult when training and workplaces are not designed to support different ways of learning.

In 2025, the national unemployment rate for people with disabilities was 8.3%, about twice the 4.1% rate for people without disabilities, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. These figures describe people with disabilities broadly, rather than neurodivergent adults specifically, and measure unemployment among people in the labor force.

Special Flavours responds with practical training, supportive instruction, and opportunities to put skills to work. Participants learn through real responsibilities, with people alongside them who can demonstrate a task, adapt instruction, and recognize progress.

What Learning Looks Like Here

Learning happens while preparing an order, organizing a station, serving a guest, or helping a teammate get ready for an event.

Participants practice skills such as:

• Cooking and food preparation: following recipes, measuring ingredients, preparing food, portioning, and packaging.
• Food safety: handwashing, safe food handling, sanitation, and cleaning routines.
• Customer service: greeting guests, taking orders, communicating clearly, and responding to customer needs.
• Café and hospitality service: preparing beverages and supporting Sip & Scoop experiences.
• Catering and event operations: organizing supplies, setting up stations, serving guests, and helping with cleanup.
• Workplace independence: completing tasks, managing routines, asking for help, and working with a team.

Training assignments reflect each participant’s interests, goals, readiness, and support needs. Depending on the cohort, learning may also include support toward food handler certification, financial literacy, and career readiness.

Support That Meets the Person

Everyone brings different strengths and learns at a different pace. Our approach makes room for both.

We use ABA-informed teaching strategies to help participants understand tasks, practice successfully, and build greater independence:

• Step-by-step instruction breaks larger tasks into manageable parts.
• Visual checklists and station guides provide clear references participants can return to.
• Modeling and guided practice give participants opportunities to watch, try, and ask questions.
• Individualized prompts provide assistance when needed and are gradually reduced as skills develop.
• Positive reinforcement and feedback recognize effort, progress, and accomplishments.
• Individual goals and progress monitoring help us adjust instruction.
• Practice across tasks and settings helps participants carry their skills into new situations.

Participant dignity, choice, preferences, and self-advocacy guide the process. We listen to what participants want to accomplish and help them work toward it.

Where These Skills Can Lead

For some participants, the next step is a job. For others, it may be additional education, a new interest, or the beginning of their own business.

Participation can help prepare individuals to:

• Explore employment opportunities at Special Flavours, when positions are available.
• Apply for culinary, catering, food service, and hospitality jobs.
• Take steps toward starting a culinary business.
• Pursue further education or training.
• Build confidence and independence in workplace and everyday routines.

Enrollment does not guarantee employment. Our team helps participants explore next steps based on their goals and available opportunities.

Our Impact Since the Program Began

30 Participants. 15 Employed. More Possibilities Ahead.

30 people have participated, building skills through culinary training and practical workplace experiences.

15 participants have gained employment, taking meaningful steps toward their career goals and greater independence.

Progress also shows up in everyday moments: preparing food with less assistance, completing a cleaning routine independently, or taking on a new responsibility. Individual participants have pursued milestones such as launching a bakery and beginning college.

These accomplishments belong to the people who worked toward them. We’re proud to be part of their journey.

(Program figures provided by SNN. Updated October 2026.)

Our Skills in Action 

Special Flavours has supported community experiences including:

• Metro D Line Grand Opening
• Metro World Cup Activations
• Westside Regional Center Grand Opening

These events bring learning into real service settings. Participants practice preparation, teamwork, customer service, and hospitality while contributing to experiences shared by the wider community.

Every activation is also an opportunity for guests, partners, and employers to see neurodivergent talent in action.

The Next Cohort Is Waiting for an Opportunity

12 prospective participants have connected with us and are waiting for the next cohort. We are seeking the funding needed to provide their training and individualized support.

Their interest is already here. What comes next depends on our ability to create more opportunities.

Support helps provide the staff time, materials, paid training experiences, and instruction that make participation possible. It helps us welcome people who are ready to begin and give them room to learn.

Help us make the next cohort possible.

How to Participate

Start with our interest form.

Participants, family members, guardians, and referral partners can tell us about the participant’s interests, availability, and the best person to contact.

Connect with our team.

We’ll discuss current opportunities, program requirements, participant goals, and support needs.

Plan the next steps together.

Our team will explain any additional intake requirements and share information about upcoming cohorts as opportunities become available.

Cohort schedules, eligibility, paid training details, and enrollment availability are confirmed by our team. Submitting an inquiry does not confirm enrollment.

Bring the Flavour. Support the Future.

Your next event can help create opportunities.

Explore Special Flavours Food Truck Catering and Sip & Scoop Parisian Experiences for community events, workplace gatherings, staff appreciation, and group celebrations.

Your booking supports paid workforce training for neurodivergent adults while bringing our food, service, and mission to your guests.

You can also support the program through donations and partnerships that help fund future cohorts and expand access to training.

Book us. Partner with us. Help someone take their next step.

Special Flavours Team