The first cafe to open in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is hoping to host weddings and provide employment opportunities for disabled people.
Unity Kitchen Cafe, currently sitting in the newly-built Timberlodge in the North Park, Stratford, opened for business at the Open East Festival on July 27.
It is run by the Camden Society, a charity that works with people with disabilities across London and Oxfordshire, which set up the cafe as a social enterprise.
The eaterie currently has 15 members of staff, six of whom were recruited through a training and employment scheme run by the charity.
The Unity Kitchen Cafe has space for up to 80 indoor diners and another 100 at a table outside as well as 150m squared of community space which it hopes will be used by local schools, for corporate meetings, social get-togethers, and yoga or dance classes.
It is also waiting to be issued with a civil weddings licence so happy couples can get hitched there.
Denise Largin, chief executive of the Camden Society, said: “Unity Kitchen Café is a proud addition to the five London outlets we already run.
“It means we have expanded our offer of top-quality locally-sourced produce to this fantastic Olympic Park venue.
“The new café is family-friendly. We’re right next to the Tumbling Bay children’s playground and serve child-friendly food.”
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