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Breaking Grounds, a coffee shop located on 67 Main Street in Peabody, brews up opportunities for people with disabilities and autism, but a fire that broke out on Wednesday, May 10 will keep the cafe closed for up to six weeks, according to the Breaking Grounds site.
Operated by Northeast Arc, Breaking Grounds provides jobs and career training for people, and has successfully placed more than 30 people in jobs throughout the North Shore.
Its job training program, called Project Perk, is on pause while the coffee shop recovers from water damage sustained while firefighters battled a blaze in a residential unit above the cafe.
No people were injured in the fire, according to Northeast Arc.
Cafe employees will continue to receive their paychecks during the closure, despite the "significant financial losses" the coffee shop was faced with.
"Although we hope insurance can cover some of the losses, there are many program related costs, including our commitment to maintain salaries and the additional support for the interns, that will not be covered at the cafe and across the organization," the organization's statement read.
Those wishing to donate to build back Breaking Grounds can do so here.
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