The grand opening of a Jupiter business is expected to provide a rare learning opportunity for some of its employees.
Valerie Herskowitz, owner of The Chocolate Spectrum, says she was inspired to open the business by her son who has autism and was looking for a career after high school.
Now, half her staff registers on the autism spectrum. And for many, it’s their first job.
"For a while it was just a social activity for all of us, and then I started getting the feeling that maybe some of these guys like Christian and Michael could actually make a living doing this," Herskowitz said.
Christian and Michael work at the shop as trained chocolatiers and there are others in training.
The owner’s goal is to give developmentally disabled adults an opportunity many others never get.
The store is located inside the Jupiter Shopping Plaza and is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.