Inclusion Coffee Shop opens second location inside Vineland library

Residents with disabilities, families looking for a welcoming place to meet, and library patrons now share space with Inclusion Coffee Shop inside Vineland Public Library, turning a new business opening into a civic amenity for Cumberland County. The shop’s second location opened at the library after more than a year of work with city officials, including Mayor Anthony Fanucci and Library Director Dr. Luis F. Amberths Jr.

Owner Amanda Vellon opened Inclusion Coffee Shop in Elmer in 2022 with a mission centered on making people of all abilities feel welcome, respected and included. The Vineland location carries that mission into one of the city’s most important public buildings, where students, seniors, parents and other visitors already gather for reading, programming and community use. By placing the café inside the library, the business gives patrons another reason to stay longer, connect more often and use the building as a daily meeting place, not just a stop for books.

The opening also reflects how Vineland’s library functions as a public institution. The library describes itself as a cornerstone of the city’s educational and cultural foundation and says it serves a diverse community while relying on resources beyond its walls. Its governing board includes the mayor, the Vineland Superintendent of Schools or designees, and seven members appointed by the mayor, which makes the coffee shop partnership part of a city-backed institutional framework rather than a simple private lease.

Fanucci’s role adds another layer of continuity to the project. He is serving his third term as mayor after reelection in 2020 and again in 2024, giving the long-running collaboration a familiar political anchor as the city and library moved the idea from concept to reality. For a public space that already draws regular traffic from across Vineland, the café brings a new layer of accessibility and everyday convenience.

The Elmer shop had already drawn regional attention for its model. It was the only café in the small borough and employed people with special needs, underscoring why the Vineland expansion matters beyond coffee sales alone. In a downtown and library setting, that approach creates jobs, broadens visibility for inclusive hiring and puts an accessibility-minded business in front of more residents across Vineland and the surrounding county.