Her employees aren't relegated to jobs at the bottom of the ladder, as is the case in many businesses that hire people who have disabilities — they're baking, cooking and preparing food, taking orders, serving customers and more.

Her driving mission of acceptance extends to the clientele at Puzzles.

"When I was growing up and my family would try to bring my sister maybe grocery shopping or to a restaurant, we never knew if she might have a meltdown or some behaviors out in public," Pratt said. "And that's something that, especially a lot of families with younger children with disabilities, they might be concerned about what people are thinking or how that might reflect in the community.

"But what I love about Puzzles is everyone can feel really at home and safe here. All of our employees are really understanding and trained. They would completely understand if somebody was vocalizing or maybe rocking back and forth or having a meltdown in a way that might be sort of socially inappropriate elsewhere. It's OK here."

Owner Sara Mae Pratt (right) with her mother and sister Emily, who was the inspiration behind Puzzles Bakery and Cafe. Courtesy of Sara Mae Pratt

Puzzles isn't the only local business catering to people who have disabilities. There's Bitty and Beau's, the North Carolina coffee shop Ben and Amy Wright opened in 2016, inspired by two of their children who have Down syndrome. They recently opened their third location, in Savannah, Georgia. There's also Two Cafe, a Cleveland restaurant that hires people who have disabilities and then helps them find other jobs that suit their interests and skills. And there are many other businesses outside the food and beverage realm that have similar missions, too.

But as Pratt points out, a few businesses here and there aren't enough to meet demand. (That said, here's your reminder that next weekend is Small Business Saturday, in case you need an excuse to visit the aforementioned places.)

"To date, we've had close to 4,000 applications, which is absolutely fantastic, but also heartbreaking, because I don't have 4,000 positions available," she said.

One day she would like to franchise Puzzles, but for now, she just hopes other businesses take notice of what she and others are doing, and start to consider more applicants who have disabilities.

"Take a chance on someone with special needs," she said. "I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. We have some of the most dedicated, loyal, amazing workers here at Puzzles, and I know that all across the country there are people with developmental disabilities who want nothing more than to be given the opportunity to work."

As an added incentive, Pratt noted that she's seen a much lower turnover rate among her employees who have disabilities than those who don't.

"We've had employees who started with us when we first opened who are still here with us today, and will probably be employed with us for a very long time," she said. "That's something that's really amazing to me."