When Jonathan Wenig's daughter Tali finished school in 2020, he worried that traditional workplaces might not provide an inclusive, compassionate environment that would enable her to feel safe. Tali has autism, which can lead her to experience anxiety when communicating and socialising.
"If you've met one individual then you've met one individual with autism," says Wenig. It is important to him that Tali's experience is not generalised to all people with autism.
"Working does a few things for Tali," he explains. "She thrives in having structure and an environment where expectations are communicated to her clearly and she's supported to meet those expectations. Where she has structure and feels productive, she has a different sort of presence and sense of herself, she's happier in the other areas of her life. Tali likes to feel proud of herself, she likes that sense of achievement."
Where she has structure and feels productive, she has a different sort of presence and sense of herself, she's happier in the other areas of her life.
In 2019, Wenig set up a charity and a board, then drew on his own funds and philanthropic donations to establish in January the All Things Equal cafe within a bustling hub of bars, boutiques, cafes and op shops in Balaclava, an inner Melbourne suburb. The kosher-certified cafe aims to be a welcoming workplace where everyone is appreciated for who they are, where they've been and where they want to go.
Wenig was driven to form the cafe because of the lack of meaningful and social work for those with disabilities, despite the good intentions of many institutions.
All Things Equal cafe celebrates difference in the the community through food. Source: All Things Equal
"Often, those jobs are behind closed doors, and even though those organisations do a lot of wonderful things, we wanted a workplace where there were people with and without disabilities firmly in the community. That is so important for their sense of self, their ability to achieve independence and autonomy," he says.
Over the past few years, the business has expanded across other avenues.
"At Balaclava, and we have some other operations, there are about 27 staff and half have a disability. We are in a partnership with Jewish Care, which is residential care for seniors where we run and operate a cafe within their Windsor facility. Last year we ran canteens with local footy clubs where people with disabilities ran the canteen on the weekend. We're also starting to do catering from the Balaclava premises."
In mid-March, All Things Equal launched a new catering offering called The Bagel Box. One box can cater for anywhere between six and 100 people. You can choose from various bagel fillings including the Italian classic (basil, tomato, shaved mozzarella and lettuce), salmon (house-cured salmon, avocado, cream cheese and dill) sweet potato (roasted sweet potato, caramelised onion, rocket and feta) and hummus (hummus, roasted vegetables and lettuce). Wenig and staff are hoping the new offering attracts local residents, businesses and community groups, and that they get on board the cafe's mission.
Brinley Stephens, 27, has been a waiter at the cafe since February this year. He'd asked about an opportunity to join the staff, and then submitted his resume, which led to a formal interview and his recruitment to the training cafe in May 2022.
"All Things Equal is my first job," he says. "The most challenging parts are making coffee, when it's busy or when customers are rude. I can feel tired after a long shift."
Whatever the challenges, they pale in comparison to the overriding benefits. "It makes me feel happy and I make new friends".
Sam Pamensky has been with the cafe since its inception. His job at All Things Equal provided him with the confidence and experience to secure two new jobs with other employers. He's working at another cafe and as a grounds manager for a local football club, while still taking some shifts at All Things Equal when they can use some more help.
Brinley Stephens (left) appreciates the friends he's made working at All Things Equal cafe. Source: All Things Equal
"I thought it was a really awesome concept of giving people opportunities that probably can't get jobs," he explains. "This was my first proper job."
Being part of a team made me feel very welcomed and accepted. I felt I had a role to play in the team.
Pamensky recently completed his hospitality certificate and received the award for most outstanding student. He credits All Things Equal with sowing his passion for hospitality and his colleagues and customers.
"Being part of a team made me feel very welcomed and accepted," he says. "I felt I had a role to play in the team."
The training for staff is not the standard hospitality school curriculum.
"We do training that's not on the job," says Wenig. "We organise wellbeing and care sessions and training outside of the cafe. We're at the apex of disability and hospitality, so sometimes the training is from a hospitality perspective and there's also training about what it means to have a job, how to dress for work, brush your teeth and wash your hands, or address individual concerns around sensory issues like feeling overwhelmed by a busy cafe."
While there's a waiting list of 100, Wenig encourages anyone interested in working for the cafe to express their interest via the website. Organisations wishing to discuss how they can partner are also invited to get in contact.
Melbourne, Victoria
Sunday-Friday: 8:30am-4:30pm
Saturday: Closed
SOCIAL ENTERPRISES
The kosher kitchen that brings people across cultures together
