Chris Pavlack stands behind the coffee bar at Cafe Blends. The cafe is staffed by young adults on the autism spectrum.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
(CNN) -- Chris Pavlack stands behind the coffee bar at a car dealership in Roswell, Georgia, ready to whip up specialty lattes for waiting customers. As a 21-year-old college sophomore, working as a barista at Caf Blends is his first job.
"It's a nice environment and everything, and the other employees are pretty nice too," he says.
Pinned to his black apron is a blue puzzle piece, a symbol representing autism awareness. It's also a symbol of the caf's mission -- "blending autism into the workplace." Pavlack and his two co-workers are all young adults on the autism spectrum.
The caf began when Nalley Lexus Roswell general manager Chris Dastou heard about a similar program at a company meeting.
"I decided it was definitely something I was interested in," he says. "Giving them a chance to work and to have an opportunity to grow as a person."
His team partnered with Nobis Works, a nonprofit organization that provides job training and placement for people with barriers to employment, to launch the caf at the Roswell dealership.
Since its opening in December, the response from both employees and customers has been encouraging, Dastou says.
Karen Carlisle, vice president of corporate communications and development at Nobis Works, says it is common to hear such positive feedback from employers.