The Cafés Joyeux are always in the city center… It’s about a fierce desire to put people at the heart of society who are invisible because they are disabled. Born in Rennes in 2017, on the initiative of Yann Bucaille-Lanrezac and his wife Lydwine, Cafés Joyeux are now present in over 28 cities, both in France and internationally. Their mission: to offer a dignified job, in an ordinary environment, to those who are too often left by the wayside. Down’s syndrome, autism, cognitive disorders… here, there are no labels: we cook, we serve, we cash in, we simply work.
“This place is like a bridge between the world of performance—which, by the way, isn’t running so smoothly anymore—and a world of difference, or rather, a world where vulnerability is more openly embraced. It’s truly a meeting point between worlds that are usually too far apart,” explains Yann.
The guiding motto of Joyful Cafés: beauty, goodness, truth. With meals crafted by renowned chef Thierry Marx and interior design by Sarah Lavoine, Joyful Café is not structured as a non-profit organization, but operates as a business that pays taxes, duties, and social charges like any other. And yet, it employs 60 to 70% of people with disabilities. “We don’t want to look at our joyful crew with condescension—we want to show that they are creators, that they have value. If we don’t achieve financial balance, it would be a failure for them. We’re here to ensure turnover…” says Yann.
With over 200 joyful team members on permanent contracts, a proprietary coffee brand, Joyful Cafés Inside serving coffee in companies, thousands of customers touched by genuine hospitality—and above all, lives transformed—Joyful Café goes beyond just providing jobs. It restores confidence, independence, and pride to those who have too often been denied them.
“We always have plenty of dreams… but concretely, we’re driven by three goals: to show, by example, that this works long-term; to become a meaningful and recognized social alternative; and from these first two goals, to expand both in France and abroad. (…) I’ll add one final goal: to inspire others to do the same—in other sectors or even in the same one…”
Yann Bucaille-Lanrezac’s ambitions for this (extra)ordinary company mirror the people who make it what it is:
“Joyful Café is a fully committed crew that makes the impossible possible.”
