They started a coffee trailer for their son. It's helping Ozarkers with disabilities, too

Susan Szuch, Springfield News-Leader
·3 min read
Whitney, Wyatt and Chris Justis pose in the Brew 21 Extra Chromosome Coffee Company trailer at the 417 Tattoo Collaborative Flash Bash in Fair Grove on Jan. 20, 2023. The Justises started the coffee trailer as a way for their son Wyatt, who has Down syndrome, to work with them.
Whitney, Wyatt and Chris Justis pose in the Brew 21 Extra Chromosome Coffee Company trailer at the 417 Tattoo Collaborative Flash Bash in Fair Grove on Jan. 20, 2023. The Justises started the coffee trailer as a way for their son Wyatt, who has Down syndrome, to work with them.

For the past five years, Whitney and Chris Justis knew that they wanted start a business in which their son, Wyatt, could participate.

A love for coffee inspired the idea for their coffee trailer, which is named Brew 21 Extra Chromosome Coffee Co., in reference to Wyatt's Down syndrome.

People with Down syndrome are born with an extra copy of chromosome 21 rather than a pair, which can impact brain and body development, resulting in physical and mental challenges, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's the most common chromosomal condition diagnosed in the United States, with about 1 in 700 babies born with Down syndrome.

Wyatt, who is a freshman at Republic High School, is just like any other teenager, his mom says — he will drag his feet when they start at Brew 21, but that "once we get going and he starts interacting with people, he gets excited and loves it."

Brew 21 brews Copper Canyon coffee, a local roaster in Battlefield. Bags of the coffee Brew 21 uses, as well as goodies like chocolate covered coffee beans, can be purchased at the Down Syndrome Group of the Ozarks' Upside Down Mercantile, 203 W. Commercial St.

In 2023, the trailer went to 46 events in the four months it was open. Whitney Justis said that 3% of every cup sold during that time went to the Down Syndrome Group of the Ozarks.

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People wait in line for coffee from the Brew 21 Extra Chromosome Coffee Company truck at the 417 Tattoo Collaborative Flash Bash in Fair Grove on Jan. 20, 2023.
People wait in line for coffee from the Brew 21 Extra Chromosome Coffee Company truck at the 417 Tattoo Collaborative Flash Bash in Fair Grove on Jan. 20, 2023.

This year, she thinks Brew 21 is going to choose a couple different causes. The Republic Special Olympics is a contender for the first quarter of the year. After that, they're not sure, but are considering donations to Arc of the Ozarks' summer camp or to Camp Barnabas, which is a summer camp for people with disabilities and their siblings.

Currently, Brew 21 employs three other people with disabilities.

“It’s been kind of a whirlwind, like initially my plan was just for our son. Then it seemed like overnight that we realized it was going to be way bigger than just our family," Justis said. "There’s a need for special needs people to have jobs and feel like they’re part of the community."

It can sometimes be difficult for people with Down syndrome or other disabilities to secure employment, explained Scott Kirby, DSGO executive director.

"I just think that when the words 'special needs' or 'disabilities' come into play, (employers) immediately have a stigma about that, which is unfortunate, because so many individuals that have differing abilities have so much to offer and do a great job at so many different things," Kirby said. "They have abilities and gifts that will lend themselves to different jobs like any of us do. When employers and people figure that out, it opens doors to opportunities."

The Brew 21 Extra Chromosome Coffee Company menu hangs outside the trailer at the 417 Tattoo Collaborative Flash Bash in Fair Grove on Jan. 20, 2023.
The Brew 21 Extra Chromosome Coffee Company menu hangs outside the trailer at the 417 Tattoo Collaborative Flash Bash in Fair Grove on Jan. 20, 2023.

Upside Down Mercantile is one of DSGO's responses to "the employment question" — the shop provides an opportunity for people with Down syndrome to develop product brands and practice entrepreneurship, if they want. It also allows them to work in logistics, like shipping and receiving or stocking items, if they're not interested in small business ownership.

DSGO is currently working with other organizations like Convoy of Hope and Silver Dollar City to explore employment opportunities there. Additionally, local businesses like BigShots Golf and area universities already employ people with Down syndrome, Kirby said, in positions that highlight their individual talents and their place in the community.

The response from the community to Brew 21 has been amazing, Justis said. Not only the demand — within a few weeks of starting up, Brew 21 booked three to five events per week — but also in the way people interact with Brew 21.

"We didn’t have one negative comment, one negative person," Justis said. "Every single person, every single business, school, place we’ve been has been so encouraging, so kind, which is pretty incredible to be in contact with that many people and have nothing but positive things happen."

Susan Szuch reports on health and food for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @szuchsm. Story idea? Email her at sszuch@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Ozarks coffee trailer wants to keep helping those with disabilities