Westport restaurant baking up inclusion, community and purpose
WESTPORT — From an idea of kindness and inclusion to a full-fledged restaurant, The Porch at Christie’s in Westport recently celebrated its one year anniversary.
The Porch is fueled by baked goods from Sweet P, a nonprofit bakery that provides job training and employment to people with disabilities. The Porch’s mission is food, community and purpose, and it has plenty to try — from the baked goods to breakfast, brunch and all-day items.
“We strive to serve delicious food in a beautiful, happy space where the entire community and beyond can gather,” the business’ website says. “Equally important to us is our purpose of inclusion and employment for individuals with all abilities.”
Sweet P was the original business, and then came The Porch. Andrea Pecoriello, owner of both businesses, described the inspiration behind the businesses and how it was created.
“We don’t have a child with special needs,” Pecoriello said. “But like everyone else, we have friends, we have family that have a child with special needs.”
She said they knew most social services stopped for these young adults when they were 21 or 22 years old. She added the unemployment rate for that group of people is around 80 to 85 percent.
With that knowledge, Pecoriello and her husband, Bill, decided to secure a lease for a bakery. In 2019, they hired Head Pastry Chef Terri Cahn. The Pecoriellos remodeled the entire location, Cahn created a curriculum for incoming students and Sweet P was born.
Cahn said she answered a “cryptic ad” to work with the business, but she was “all in.”
The first class of seven trainees joined in February 2020 and completed their Baking 1 program, which taught general baking knowledge. Five of those students moved onto Baking 2, where they learned how to make the Sweet P baked goods, and graduated in April 2021.
Now these employees at Sweet P make the baked goods the shop is known for.
However, Sweet P is considered a kitchen and so unable to sell their own goods. So the Pecoriellos opened The Porch, which is a full restaurant, complete with a bakery case packed with Sweet P goodies.
Sweet P is a nonprofit business, while The Porch is full profit. However, Andrea Pecoriello said they reinvest all of the profits back into Sweet P to keep it running.
Since Sweet P opened right before the COVID-19 pandemic, the students got about six weeks of experience before protocols had to change. When they finally got back into the kitchen in fall 2021, they were socially distanced, but still baking.
Cahn laughed that at the beginning, Pecoriello planned on having only a handful of items sold from Sweet P. Now, the business sells around 40 products.
Pecoriello called the COVID-19 a sort of blessing-in-disguise because they had plenty of time to get to know the students, who are now employees.
Pecoriello said that some of their best products the employees enjoy baking are cookies, scones and muffins — and all of the products are made from scratch.
There has not been another class of students since the first, due to a lack of space. However, the business has hopes to keep growing.
“We’re excited as we move on,” Pecoriello said. “Our beautiful, adorable classroom of a kitchen has turned into a production kitchen.”
To expand, Sweet P needs to get space for a classroom, as well as a kitchen.
“We feel like we really nailed it on this training class,” she said.
She described how other bakeries around the country have a similar mission.
“Our goal, eventually, once we get the training alongside the production, is to let other groups similar to us, all over the country, use our knowledge instead of starting over,” Pecoriello said.
Sweet P also partners with other local nonprofits, including Westport Book Sales, a used bookstore that benefits the library. Sweet P supplied baked goods for the shop’s events and in return, the bookstore donated children’s books for events at The Porch.
Cahn also provides Zoom cooking classes in partnership with STAR Inc, a provider of support and services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Fairfield County.
Sweet P and the Porch are also focused on community. Upon entry to The Porch, you can see a neon sign that reads, “Hello friend.”
“As soon as you step up on the porch, you are a friend — you’re included,” Pecoriello said.