The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders: What cafe hires people with dementia?

In Japan, a surprising and heartwarming initiative gained international attention when a restaurant intentionally staffed its floor with people experiencing memory loss. This unique project, known as The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders, offers a direct answer to the query: What cafe hires people with dementia?. The project’s success challenges common misconceptions about dementia and highlights the value of productive social engagement for people with cognitive impairments.

Quick Summary

This article explores the concept of The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders in Japan, where servers with dementia are employed to challenge stereotypes. It discusses the mission, the customer experience, and the success of the initiative. The article also provides a comparison of this model to traditional memory cafés and offers guidance on how other businesses can foster a more dementia-friendly workplace.

Key Points

• Innovative Employment: The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders in Japan hires people with dementia to challenge social stigma and demonstrate their capabilities.

• Compassionate Approach: Customers at the cafe embrace the occasional incorrect order, creating an environment of empathy and understanding that benefits both staff and patrons.

• Supportive Structure: Staff at the cafe are supported by volunteers and clear, simplified procedures, reducing stress and allowing for productive social interaction.

• Distinction from Memory Cafés: While The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders is a unique employment model, memory cafés are volunteer-based social gatherings that focus on community engagement and support, not jobs.

• Dementia-Friendly Workplaces: Businesses can learn from these models by providing reasonable accommodations, training staff, and fostering a culture of support for employees with dementia and their caregivers.

• Legal Obligations: Under laws like the ADA, employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations for employees with dementia, protecting them from discrimination based on their diagnosis.

The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders: An Unconventional Mission

Founded in Tokyo by Shiro Oguni, The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders was a pop-up project designed to subvert negative perceptions of dementia. Oguni was inspired after observing an experience at a nursing home where a mix-up with an order brought smiles and laughter rather than frustration. The concept is simple: staff members with dementia take orders and serve food, and as the name suggests, about a third of the orders come out wrong. However, according to the restaurant, 99% of customers are happy with their experience, embracing the occasional mix-up as part of the fun. The staff, while living with dementia, retain many abilities and find purpose in their work, combating the social isolation that often accompanies a diagnosis.

What makes the cafe so successful?

The success of The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders is built on a few key pillars:

• Community and awareness: The cafe serves as a public awareness campaign, demonstrating that people with dementia can remain active and engaged members of society.
• Empathy and patience: Customers enter with the understanding that mistakes are part of the experience, fostering an environment of patience and empathy.
• Supported environment: The project provides a safe and supportive space. Volunteers work alongside staff, and tasks are simplified and color-coded to reduce stress.
• Joyful interactions: The focus is on the human connection, not on perfect service. The genuine smiles and interactions between staff and customers create a special and memorable atmosphere.

The Memory Café Model: A Different Approach

While The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders is a unique employment program, it is not the only model that engages people with dementia. Memory cafés, which exist in many countries including the US, offer a different kind of supportive social environment. These are typically volunteer-run and designed to provide a safe, welcoming space for individuals with cognitive impairments and their caregivers to socialize. Unlike the restaurant model, memory cafés are not about employment but about community engagement and support.

Comparison of Dementia-Friendly Models

Feature	The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders	Memory Cafés
Primary Goal	Employ people with dementia to raise public awareness and combat stigma.	Provide a supportive social and engagement space for people with memory loss and their caregivers.
Employment	Hires people with dementia as temporary or part-time staff members.	Typically volunteer-run; does not offer employment.
Focus	Productive social participation and skill retention in a structured job.	Relaxation, socialization, community building, and reducing isolation.
Business Model	Pop-up restaurant or cafe with paying customers.	Often run by non-profit organizations or libraries with volunteer staff.
Activities	Taking orders, serving food and drinks, interacting with customers.	Guided activities like music, art, storytelling, and light refreshments.
Customer Expectation	Errors are part of the experience; customers participate knowingly.	Casual social gathering; not a full-service dining experience.

Creating a Dementia-Friendly Workplace Beyond the Cafe

While the concept of hiring people with dementia may seem radical, businesses can adopt principles from these models to create more inclusive workplaces. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities, which includes those with dementia.

Practical steps for employers

• Flexible scheduling and modified duties: Allow for flexible hours, reduced workloads, or job restructuring to accommodate changing abilities.
• Assistive technology and memory aids: Provide tools like checklists, written instructions, and calendar reminders to help with memory and daily tasks.
• Adjusting the work environment: Reduce distractions, ensure good lighting, and use clear signage to create a more supportive physical space.
• Comprehensive training: Educate managers and staff about dementia to foster empathy and understanding. The Alzheimer's Association offers resources for creating dementia-friendly workplaces.
• Open communication: Establish a culture where employees feel comfortable discussing their condition and needs without fear of stigma.

Supporting Employees with Caregiving Responsibilities

Beyond supporting those with a diagnosis, businesses can also aid employees who are caregivers. Caregiving can be demanding, and employers can help by offering flexible work options, employee assistance programs (EAPs), and information about caregiver support groups. Creating a supportive environment for caregivers reduces stress and demonstrates a commitment to employee well-being.

Conclusion

While a cafe specifically designed to hire people with dementia is a rare and innovative model, its success highlights a powerful truth: with the right support, individuals with cognitive impairments can continue to be productive and valued members of society. The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders in Japan is a prime example, but businesses everywhere can and should adopt dementia-friendly practices. By focusing on compassion, reasonable accommodations, and a deeper understanding of the condition, employers can create truly inclusive workplaces that benefit everyone. This not only empowers individuals with dementia but also enriches the entire company culture. The Alzheimer's Association offers excellent guidance on building dementia-friendly businesses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders?

The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders is a Japanese pop-up cafe where the servers have dementia. The concept, founded by Shiro Oguni, aims to raise public awareness about dementia by creating a safe space where servers and customers can interact with empathy and understanding.

What kind of work can people with dementia do?

With the right accommodations, many people with dementia can perform meaningful work. Suitable roles often involve repetitive tasks or predictable routines. Examples include simplified office tasks, light gardening, or creative pursuits. The specific job depends on the individual’s abilities and the stage of their condition.

Is it legal to fire someone because they have dementia?

No, it is illegal in many places, including the US, to fire someone solely because of a dementia diagnosis. Under laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employers must provide reasonable accommodations. Termination is only permissible if the employee cannot perform essential job functions, even with accommodations.

What are reasonable accommodations for an employee with dementia?

Reasonable accommodations can include flexible hours, reduced workloads, task simplification, providing written instructions or checklists, and making adjustments to the physical work environment to reduce distraction.

What is a Memory Café?

A Memory Café is a social gathering designed for individuals with mild cognitive impairment or early-stage dementia and their caregivers. It is a supportive, stigma-free environment where people can enjoy activities and connect with others. Unlike The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders, it does not involve employment.

How can a workplace become more dementia-friendly?

Workplaces can become more dementia-friendly by training staff and managers, offering flexible working arrangements, providing assistive technology, making environmental adjustments, and fostering a culture of understanding and support.

What is the biggest takeaway from The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders?

The biggest takeaway is that with a compassionate approach and a supportive environment, people with dementia can continue to live purposeful and socially engaged lives. It challenges the societal misconception that a dementia diagnosis ends an individual's ability to contribute.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders?

The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders is a pop-up cafe in Japan that hires people with dementia as servers. The concept is to create a safe, supportive space where mistakes are celebrated, raising awareness and combating the stigma associated with the condition.

Are there cafes like this outside of Japan?

The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders is a unique concept, but similar initiatives focusing on dementia-friendly spaces and inclusion have been explored in other countries, including Australia and South Korea. However, similar formal employment programs for people with dementia are rare.

Is it legal for a person with dementia to work?

Yes, it is legal for a person with dementia to work. In the US, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations. The ability to continue working depends on the individual's specific job duties, symptoms, and the stage of their condition.

What is the difference between a Memory Café and the Restaurant of Mistaken Orders?

A Memory Café is a social gathering place for individuals with memory loss and their caregivers, offering community and engagement through volunteer-led activities. The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders, conversely, is a temporary, for-profit business that employs people with dementia, providing them with a job and a sense of purpose.

How can employers support employees who are caregivers for someone with dementia?

Employers can offer support through flexible scheduling, providing access to Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), allowing for time off, and creating a supportive culture that acknowledges the challenges caregivers face.

What kind of accommodations can be made for employees with dementia?

Accommodations can include simplifying tasks, providing clear written or verbal instructions, using checklists and visual aids, adjusting work schedules, and reducing workplace distractions.

Does working help people with dementia?

Working in a supportive environment can be beneficial for people with dementia. It can provide a sense of purpose, reduce social isolation, and help retain cognitive skills for a longer period, contributing to a better quality of life.