The Out of This World Cafe is a Toronto bistro providing employment development opportunities to the psychiatric consumer/survivor community. The newly renovated and reopened cafe has a varied breakfast and lunch menu and a full service coffee bar.
The OTW Cafe is operated by the Ontario Council of Alternative Businesses, its parent organization, and located inside the Queen Street West Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) facilities. In addition to the support of the CAMH, the cafe's investors include the Toronto Enterprise Fund and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care.
In the past six years, the OTW Cafe has expanded its product line and service and revenue base, while they are currently providing experience-building employment opportunities for 20 individuals with a history of mental health and addiction.
Contact Information
Out of This World Cafe website
Out of This World Cafe on Facebook
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Psychiatric Consumer/survivor Empowerment
- Creating businesses and employment development opportunities that empower psychiatric consumer/survivor communities can be a disruptive innovation opportunity.
- Socially Responsible Investment
- Investing in socially responsible businesses that support marginalized communities, such as the Out of This World Cafe, can be a disruptive innovation opportunity.
- Alternative Business Models
- Exploring alternative business models that prioritize the empowerment of marginalized communities in the workforce, such as the Ontario Council of Alternative Businesses, can be a disruptive innovation opportunity.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Mental Health Services
- Mental health service providers can create similar programs and employment opportunities for psychiatric consumer/survivor communities.
- Food and Beverage
- Food and beverage companies can invest in socially responsible businesses and alternative business models like the Out of This World Cafe.
- Social Enterprise
- Social enterprises focused on empowering marginalized communities, such as the Ontario Council of Alternative Businesses, can expand their programs and services to support additional communities.
