Vancouver sisters realize late mother’s dream of opening a café

Faith Tang and her older sister, Grace, grew up close, eventually sharing a bedroom. Grace regularly visited hospital because of developmental disabilities, and their mother, Cathy, made a point of taking Faith on mother-daughter café outings so she would feel special too.

Cathy hoped to open a business where Grace could learn life skills and feel included in the community, but she died before she could do so. Their father, Gary, then cared for the sisters alone. He and Faith opened Cathy’s Cafe in her memory, fulfilling that dream and helping Grace develop practical and social skills as well as confidence.

The café also offers 11 other people with disabilities opportunities to learn employable skills, including Oliver Miu. Gary says Grace now dreams of becoming the café’s manager and taking charge of it in the future. Faith says the staff and customers share a sense of love and inclusion.