+1 Down Kafe

About +1 Down Kafe

+1 Down Kafe is a social enterprise café in Bornova's Büyük Park, run by Bornova Municipality. Visit İzmir, the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality's tourism portal, explains that it was designed so that young people with Down syndrome could work and socialise, and that it opened on 3 December 2015, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Young people with Down syndrome who are over 18 and hold legal working rights serve as the waiting staff. According to Visit İzmir, the café is popular not only with Bornova residents but with visitors from across İzmir and beyond, and it also hosts events with a social purpose. Bornova Municipality's news pages describe the mayor's visit on World Down Syndrome Day and other gatherings held at the café. The municipality has since announced that the café reopened with a renewed look after a thorough renovation, including a completely refitted kitchen. It is a pleasant stop for a drink or a snack during a walk in the park, and every visit supports the employment of its young staff.