Georgia Magazine - January 2020 - 29

Nearly 20 employees and about a dozen volunteers work at Special
Kneads, and more than 200 people are on a waitlist for jobs.

not the case today. Special Kneads partners with more
than 15 Gwinnett County nonprofit groups, food banks,
foster-care programs and the county Department of Family
and Children Services and donates about two dozen cakes
each week.
As word got out, demand grew, so in 2017 the Kohlers
moved their operation to an 11,000-square-foot building at
156 Scenic Highway in Lawrenceville. The significantly larger
space has made it easier to meet the needs of their unique staff.
The decorating tables can be raised or lowered to accommodate wheelchairs and walkers. Jobs are tailored to the interests
and abilities of each employee.
Some, Kohler says, prefer solitary work, like folding bakery
boxes or applying price stickers, and every task-whether
sorting supplies, washing dishes or decorating cupcakes-is
equally valued.
Nearly 20 employees and about a dozen volunteers work
at Special Kneads, and more than 200 people are on a waitlist
for jobs. Workers start out as volunteers and move into paid
positions after approval by their parents or caregivers and the
Special Kneads board of directors.
Every team member is encouraged to decorate a 6-inch
cake for the display case in a style or color of his or her choosing. It's a great point of pride when a creation is selected by
a customer, and some workers have gone on to decorate
custom cakes.
Some employees, like Joseph Crymes, prefer working on

SAL
YN

LYN

Special Kneads and Treats is a nonprofit organization that
relies on community support to continue its mission.
For more information, visit specialkneadsandtreats.org
or call (678) 237-7147.

the retail side of the bakery. Crymes, who has birth defects
that affect his joints and muscles, signed up to be a volunteer after his mother saw a TV report about the bakery. Shortly
after learning the ropes, he was sidelined by appendicitis. When
Crymes resumed his duties six months later, Michael Kohler
approached him about joining the paid staff. It was an easy
decision.
"He asked if I wanted to work here, and I said, 'Let me
know what I need to do,'" Crymes says. "And I've been doing it
ever since."
Nearly 2,000 cupcakes are sold each month. Customers
can also choose from standard bakery fare, such as cheesecake,
cookies and brownies. Special Kneads' signature treat is choccorn, a white chocolate-dipped popcorn.
"Before I worked here, I was going to school to be a veterinary assistant," Crymes says. "Once I started working here, I
realized I really like working with people."
This interaction with customers and the confidence and
experience it brings are part of the Kohlers' mission. They
encourage customers to come in,
enjoy a delicious treat and make a
new friend, except on Sundays or
Mondays. Special Kneads is closed
those days-Sundays to honor
God and family and Mondays for
"grandkids and sanity."
"This is all about [God],"
Kohler says. "It's his house. We're
just running it."
Rosalyn Dunn is
a freelance writer
living in Atlanta.

Special Kneads' square cupcakes pay homage to its beginnings on the Lawrenceville Square.
The bakery sells about 2,000 cupcakes each month in a variety of flavors, such as vanilla, red
velvet and "Chocolate Decadence," a customer favorite. Unique flavors of the month include
gingerbread, pumpkin pie, banana split or bacon cinnamon roll.

Joseph Crymes holds one of the 6-inch cakes
that Special Kneads staff members decorate.
Customers sometimes commission a staff
member to decorate a custom order.
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Georgia Magazine - January 2020

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