The Massillon Museum will welcome its new lobby café on Wednesday, July 9, with a ribbon-cutting at 10:00 a.m. The TWiLite Café, operated by The Workshops, Inc. (TWi), will offer breakfast and lunch Tuesday through Saturday, 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the refreshed café space.

TWiLite’s menu will feature smoothies, breakfast selections, sandwiches and paninis, salads, soup, and bakery specialties.  The café will welcome the public with the hope of becoming a local gathering place. TWiLite Café prices will be moderate and MassMu members will receive a 10% discount with proof of membership.

The café will initially employ approximately 20 local individuals with developmental disabilities, however that number is expected to grow as hours and offerings expand over time. 

“TWiLite Café is built on the belief that diversity strengthens communities,” says Ryan Heckert, CEO of TWi. “We proudly employ local individuals with developmental disabilities, creating an inclusive workplace that embraces diversity, supports accessibility, and ensures that everyone, regardless of ability, has the chance to soar.”

TWi, founded in 1968, is a nonprofit regional disability services provider with several locations throughout Northeast Ohio. Its mission is to nurture skills that foster independence and empower everyone to live their best lives. 

More than 400 adults in Stark, Mahoning, and Trumbull counties benefit from TWi's services through lifeskill training, transportation services, pre-employment and vocational activities, recreational activities, and employment opportunities. Participants can be found throughout the area in production and assembly jobs, document destruction services, janitorial work, and food service. 

The Museum's executive director, Alexandra Nicholis Coon, says of the new venture, "We have had a wonderful history of innovative café partners throughout the Museum's history, each with its own identity and connection to MassMu operations. TWi will be the first nonprofit partner, and our missions align in numerous ways. Accessibility is a priority at MassMu, and the synergy we envision this partnership will produce is exciting!"

The Museum's accessibility committee is proactive about welcoming all guests. Beyond accessible parking and automatic entrance and restroom doors, MassMu has standard and bariatric wheelchairs available for use onsite, elevator service to all public floors, and a sensory room for anyone needing a break in a quiet space upon request. Service animals are welcome.

In many cases, braille exhibition guides and labels as well as audio guides are provided in the main gallery. Some exhibitions have included tactile representations of two-dimensional artwork. Gallery stools are available on all three floors. ASL interpretation is offered for many Museum programs and for specially scheduled tours.

For more information about accommodations for a disability, including assistive tours, email [email protected] or call 330-833-4061.

A visit to the Massillon Museum is always free, but to further address financial accessibility, MassMu participates in the national Museums for All and Blue Star Museums initiatives.

The Massillon Museum receives operating support from the Ohio Arts Council and ArtsinStark, as well as marketing support from Visit Canton. It is grateful to the people of Massillon for their support.

The Massillon Museum and the TwiLite Café are located at 121 Lincoln Way East in downtown Massillon. For more information, call the Museum at 330-833-4061 or visit MassMu.org.