Houston gift shop Pepperlou aims to hire more adults with special needs
HOUSTON - A local business has become so much more than just a go-to gift shop in the Memorial area. The owner is fostering a sense of community for customers and employees.
Valerie Cassady has filled Pepperlou with small business finds, Taylor Swift merch, food, home decor, clothing and other treasures. Her adult daughter Ellie is the inspiration behind it all.
Ellie has special needs. She curates a section of the store called "Ellie's Corner" and works at Pepperlou a couple days a week. Customers instantly fall in love with Ellie's giggle.
FOX 26 Anchor Sally MacDonald asks, "How do you pick this stuff, Ellie?"
"We go on the computer, on the catalog," she says giggling.
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The shop started five years ago with a dream.
"Growing up we'd go to a Hallmark store here in the shopping center, and they had a young son with disabilities, and he and Ellie connected. So, if I ever asked Ellie, 'What do you want to do when you grow up,' she'd say 'I want a gift shop,'" said Cassady.
Ellie came up with the name Pepperlou after putting the names of the family's two cats together, Pepper and Pixielou.
It has since grown into a bigger space on Memorial at Kirkwood, hosting pop-up events. But the heart of the business is supporting Ellie and those like her.
"There aren't many opportunities for adults with disabilities once they leave high school, so I want to help them feel like they are needed," said Cassady.
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She says the Texas Workforce Commission plans to train other young adults for employment at the store in the new year.
You can keep up with Cassady and Ellie on their Instagram page by clicking here, or online at https://pepperlougifts.com/