Fresh Abilities

The restaurant empowers individuals with disabilities by providing transferable skills and experience which lead to a pathway for future employment in the food service industry and beyond. Our goal is to help those employed at Fresh Abilities gain the skills, experience, and certifications that will enhance their resumes and make them stand apart from others seeking employment within the food service industry.

  • Trainees receive over 110 hours of documented instruction and a graduation certificate.
  • All trainees receive a ServSafe Level 1 certification to help build their resume.

The food service industry regularly faces staffing challenges. Fresh Abilities trainees will have the experience and knowledge to help fill those gaps. We hope restaurants will come to us to help them find the qualified staff they are looking for!

Fresh Abilities, our quick-service restaurant, opened within COhatch – The Market in downtown Springfield in 2020.

In April 2022, Fresh Abilities partnered with Clark State College and moved to their main campus, allowing Fresh Abilities to expand their menu while also providing Clark State with an option for food services in a space that had been vacant since the pandemic.

In 2022, Clark State was named a finalist for the Bellwether Award due to the partnership with Fresh Abilities. In 2023, Clark State was also recognized as a finalist for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) 2023 Awards of Excellence for Outstanding College/Corporate Partnership for their collaboration with The Abilities Connection (TAC) and Fresh Abilities.