Lucky Ones Coffee Shop Thrives During Sundance Film Festival

The Park City business, which employs individuals with disabilities, sees a major boost in customers and revenue during the annual event.

Jan. 27, 2026 at 11:39pm

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Lucky Ones Coffee Shop, a Park City business that employs individuals with disabilities, experiences a significant increase in customers and revenue during the Sundance Film Festival. The shop extends its hours, expands its menu, and relies on volunteers to handle the influx of around 500 customers per day. While the financial boost is important, the shop's executive director says the festival also provides valuable opportunities for their employees to interact with customers and gain important social and job skills.

Why it matters

Lucky Ones Coffee Shop's success during Sundance highlights the importance of providing employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. The festival allows the shop's neurodiverse baristas to develop critical skills and make connections that can lead to similar job opportunities in their own communities. Additionally, the increased revenue generated during Sundance helps sustain the shop's mission-driven programs.

The details

Lucky Ones Coffee Shop, which employs around 38 neurodiverse baristas, sees a major influx of customers during the Sundance Film Festival. To handle the surge, the shop extends its hours, grows its menu, and relies on a large pool of volunteers. The shop also increases its prices slightly to account for supply and demand, but the executive director notes that customers generally understand the reasoning behind this and support the shop's mission. All of the revenue generated during Sundance goes back into the shop's programs to further support its employees.

  • Lucky Ones Coffee Shop opens at 7:30 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m. during the Sundance Film Festival.
  • The shop sees around 500 customers per day during the festival, a significant increase from its normal traffic.

The players

Lucky Ones Coffee Shop

A Park City coffee shop that employs and empowers individuals with disabilities, providing them with job training and opportunities to develop critical social and customer service skills.

Katie Manhart

The executive director of Lucky Ones Coffee Shop, who oversees the shop's mission-driven programs and initiatives.

Brian Pepito

An employee at Lucky Ones Coffee Shop, who has gained valuable skills and confidence through his work at the shop.

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What they’re saying

“Just really seeing all the people just coming in to see all these films and also having good, small chats with them every now and then, when I can.”

— Brian Pepito, Employee

“We employ and empower individuals with disabilities. So, we have about 38 neurodiverse baristas that work for us. They work on cash handling and customer interactions, coworker interactions, social skills.”

— Katie Manhart, Executive Director

“We grow our menu just a little bit, we increase our staffing, and then we have a large pool of volunteers.”

— Katie Manhart, Executive Director

“Supply and demand, we raise them just a little bit because that first two years we didn't do that, and it was just so overwhelming. All of the revenue that we have here goes back into our program, so no one really complains too much that, you know? I think they see it. They see the mission.”

— Katie Manhart, Executive Director

“It really showed that I was capable of little things. I actually didn't think I was going to be able to make drinks or paninis. Lucky Ones here really helped pull me through that.”

— Brian Pepito, Employee

What’s next

Lucky Ones Coffee Shop plans to continue its mission-driven work throughout the year, providing employment and skill-building opportunities for individuals with disabilities in the Park City community.

The takeaway

Lucky Ones Coffee Shop's success during the Sundance Film Festival demonstrates the value of inclusive employment practices and the positive impact they can have on both the business and its employees. The shop's ability to adapt and thrive during the festival's high-traffic period highlights the resilience and capabilities of its neurodiverse workforce.