Natalie Griffin, co-founder of Gerry’s Cafe, proudly hung up a new award inside the shop this week, after Gerry’s earned the BEST of 2026 Arlington Heights Award in the Cafe category. This award is based on Google Reviews from customers, verified and certified by BusinessRate.
“Our customers put us here,” Griffin says. “The volume, quality and consistency of their feedback placed Gerry’s Cafe among the highest rated in Arlington Heights, which truly reflects what we’ve built.”
Gerry’s will celebrate its three-year anniversary with a special giveaway on Sunday. From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., patrons can enjoy a free half turkey or ham sandwich, and a specially prized, new fizz lab creation.
The shop came about when Griffin, a longtime special education teacher at Kirk School in Palatine, combined with Amy Philpott, who drew from her retail experience with Trader Joe’s and locally from owning Tuscan Market, before now working as a realtor.
They named the shop after Philpott’s maternal aunt, Gerry, who was born with Down syndrome, but passed away shortly before her 4th birthday.
Her legacy lives on in the 32 young adults with intellectual developmental disabilities working at Gerry’s. They work in different shifts and at various positions and stations, but each one earns a decent wage and takes pride in their work.
The vision to open Gerry’s came about when Griffin and Philpott realized that there was an 80% unemployment rate among adults with disabilities. Knowing that, they set out to fill that void and give them meaningful work. They also sought to educate the community about their employees’ “incredible abilities.”
“In the first three years operating as a unique local café,” Griffin says, “the impact has been the personal growth of every single one of our employees.”
She points to their newfound self-confidence, as well as a dedication and extra effort by every single employee to showcase their skills and talents.
“We are a witness to newfound friendships and new social opportunities outside of work for these young adults,” Griffin says. “The lives of our employees have changed.”
Still, as they approach their three-year anniversary, Griffin and Philpott are not about to rest on their laurels. They just launched Gerry’s Fizz Lab, which is their own crafted version of the popular dirty soda trend.
“Our employees absolutely love making the drinks,” Philpott says, “and it has been a fun way to attract a younger customer base.”
In September, they are planning to launch Lab Time, from 2 – 4 p.m. daily, with special Fizz Lab pricing, seven days a week.
“We hope it will encourage students, families and the community to make Gerry’s an after-school stop,” Philpott adds. “We’ll run it throughout September and see how it grows. Our customers are really loving making their own Fizz Lab Creations.”
Amy Philpott, left, and Natalie Griffin
Gerry’s also is expanding its catering business, helped in large part with a new delivery van, purchased with a mental health grant from Wheeling Township and generous donations from its golf outing in June.
“Our employees love to be busy,” Philpott says. “The more opportunities they have to serve customers, prepare food and drinks, and work together, the more they build their skills, confidence and independence.
“That is really what Gerry’s is all about,” she adds, “and three years in, we are excited to keep growing.”
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