Hugs Café Inc. has opened a new $10 million headquarters in McKinney, a facility designed to expand job training and employment opportunities for adults with disabilities. The nonprofit organization inaugurated the two-story, 13,500-square-foot building on July 2, consolidating its café operations, hospitality training academy, and administrative offices into a single location.
The new site, situated at 221 Andrews St. in downtown McKinney, includes a training kitchen, four classrooms, a rooftop deck, and an outdoor patio. This development marks a significant expansion for the organization, doubling the number of trainees it can serve simultaneously. Prior to this move, the capacity was limited to six participants per class; the new facility allows for 12 participants per class.
Ruth Thompson, the founder and CEO of Hugs Café, stated that the organization can now train up to 32 individuals during each 12-week semester. The expanded capacity aims to better prepare adults with disabilities for careers in the hospitality industry.
To support the project, the McKinney Community Development Corp. provided $970,000 for infrastructure improvements. The development was overseen by KDC, with Corgan serving as the architect and Brasfield & Gorrie as the contractor. Construction on the facility began in May of the previous year.
