A new Madison Township doughnut and coffee shop is focused on more than just providing tasty treats to its customers.
In fact, The Ox Shoppe Cafe is actually part an area nonprofit organization that helps people who face certain obstacles in their search for meaningful and dignified jobs.
Located at 6661 North Ridge Road, The Ox Shoppe Cafe opened March 1. The artisanal doughnut, coffee and baked goods store was launched as a branch of The Ox Shoppe in Thompson Township.
At the flagship location in Thompson, The Ox Shoppe is a farm store; a coffee shop with ice cream that soon will add panini sandwiches to its menu; and an educational and training center for people with barriers to employment.
Husband and wife Darrell and Dawn Fleming-Kendall originally planned to operate The Ox Shoppe, based at 6714-B Madison Road in Thompson, as a place to sell meat from their farm.
“And we were just going to be open perhaps two days a week to sell meat when people wanted it,” Darrell said.
They developed The Ox Shoppe in an old feed store that required extensive renovation. By the time the building was upgraded, the couple realized that they had a lot of space to occupy.
“And my wife had always wanted to open a nonprofit to help adults with disabilities,” Darrell said.
Dawn serves as director of pupil services for Berkshire Schools.
“She runs the district’s special education program,” Darrell said.
In addition, Dawn grew up with a sister with disabilities.
“Dawn has watched too many times as kids get all the vocational training we can give them in schools, and then when they get out in the workplace, they sort of get patted on the head and handed a broom and are asked to sweep the floor,” he said. “Or they just end up burning out of that, and end up in mom and dad’s basement.”
Darrell and Dawn eventually set up The Ox Shoppe to consist of two components: a farm store featuring Ohio-made products; and a training and education center for individuals with barriers to employment.
Initially, it focused on helping people with disabilities to find jobs.
“But it has expanded to folks in recovery (from drug addiction or alcoholism); post-incarceration re-entry; or kids coming out of the foster-care system,” Darrell said.
The Ox Shoppe also assists parents of children with disabilities who have caregiving obligations that make it difficult to work during specific time frames.
“So we just look at different ways that we can modify traditional work experiences, so that it’s accessible to everyone, no matter what choices they’ve made or what lot has been cast for them in life,” Darrell said.
Meanwhile, The Ox Shoppe in Thompson and new Ox Shoppe Cafe in Madison Township serve as places to offer job training or provide work experience for clients.
“We can help folks identify whether or not, for example, if they’re good at customer service,” he said.
Sales revenue from both stores first goes toward paying workers and covering operational costs. Any profits beyond that are earmarked for continuing the mission of providing training and work opportunities to people with employment barriers.
The idea to open a branch in Lake County arose early in 2024, Darrell said.
Dawn was checking out the internet when she saw there was a small doughnut and coffee shop for sale in Madison Township. That business turned out to be Maggie’s Doughnuts Featured at Fat Cop Donut and Coffee Shop at 6661 North Ridge Road.
“At the time, I was in the middle of building the other coffee shop,” Darrell said. “And I never imagined we’d have another coffee shop before that one opened.”
But that’s what happened, as Darrell and Dawn opened about their Madison Township shop about a month before a similar enterprise began operating at The Ox Shoppe in Thompson.
Darrell said he and Dawn were attracted to the Madison location because it already was a fully equipped and operational doughnut and coffee shop.
“I’d be completely lying if I didn’t say some of it was the opportunity fell in our lap at the right time, to get a turnkey business the way we did,” Darrell said.
One major change made at Ox Shoppe Cafe was securing a new supplier of doughnuts.
The cafe features doughnuts and fried pies made by Amish Country Market in Middlefield. Katie’s Kakes of Madison Township provides cookies, muffins and brownies.
The store gets coffee that is roasted and blended by Caruso’s Coffee of Brecksville.
“The coffee for our drip coffee and cold brews is already pre-ground,” Darrell said. “All of our espresso beans are ground on demand, on site.”
Sales of food and beverages at The Ox Shoppe Cafe are off to a good start, Darrell said.
“We’ve had only one week that wasn’t profitable here,” he said, during a May 7 interview. “And it was right when we were kind of going through the shift from Maggie’s to the new doughnut vendor.”
The Ox Shoppe Cafe also has enlisted the services of DoorDash to deliver its products to customers.
When it comes to assisting people with employment barriers to secure decent jobs, Darrell said The Ox Shoppe has gotten good results during its first year of operation.
In fact, as of May 16, The Ox Shoppe has placed 18 people in meaningful work positions, Darrell noted.
“We’ve got a 100 percent placement rate, so we’re happy about that,” he said. “Not all of them have been perfect placements the first time, but right now, everybody is working.”