Newly opened CUP Café benefits autism programs

The CUP Café, a new coffee shop and eatery, has opened in Huntington Station.

The unique business, run by the ELIJA nonprofit, donates its revenue to fund programming to support young adults and adults living with autism.

Located on the ground floor of the Gateway Plaza apartment complex developed by G2D Group at 1000 New York Ave., CUP Café operations are overseen by Chef Thomas Gloster, former owner and executive chef of Rustic Root in Woodbury. It offers artisanal sandwiches and treats, along with premium coffees locally sourced from Mongo’s of Syosset.

ELIJA, which stands for Empowering Long Island’s Journey through Autism, also runs ELIJA Farm in Huntington, where much of the nonprofit’s programming takes place. The farm offers Community Supported Agriculture shares, with about 100 local families participating in a 14-week summer share of organically grown produce, from June through September.

The goal of ELIJA’s CUP (Coffee’s Untapped Potential) Café is to create a social enterprise that not only funds people with autism and other developmental disabilities, but provides vocational and employment opportunities to a diverse population.