Sekas - the new inclusive café in the center of Karlsruhe

"My mother always dreamed of having her own café. At some point, I promised her I would fulfill it," says Domenik. When he then had the opportunity to take over the premises in the Passagehof, it quickly became clear to him: this is where Café Sekas will be! "This is a project close to my heart. My top priority is to create a place and workplace for people with disabilities. They should feel valued and welcome here. We also want to facilitate encounters between people with and without disabilities in order to create a sense of togetherness," says Domenik.

An inclusive café in Karlsruhe city center - a workplace and feel-good place at the same time

The Petranović family completely transformed the former cat café on their own initiative: Walls with exposed concrete, a large counter, pink accents and the most important thing: a large staff room where employees can really feel at home. "A feel-good atmosphere is particularly important for people with disabilities, where they can retreat or spend time in a group," explains Domenik. Sekas is starting out with a small team. "The processes have to be 100% right; the smallest changes to the process are a big deal for people with Down's syndrome, for example," says Domenik. Domenik's mother Dragana takes the employees in the café by the hand. "As a family, we have always found solutions, so it quickly became clear that we would also find solutions here to create jobs for people with disabilities," explains Dragana. "Through my older brother, who is severely disabled, we have seen how difficult it is to find a job outside the workshops," says Domenik. "With Sekas, we want to be a role model for other companies in Karlsruhe and show how easy inclusion can be in principle," adds the 24-year-old from Karlsruhe.

Homemade cakes, coffee specialties, cocktails and long drinks at Sekas in Karlsruhe

For the people of Karlsruhe, the Petranović family offers a delicious selection of

• Pastry
• Cake
• Waffles
• Sandwiches
• Croissants

ready. "The cakes are prepared fresh every day by my mom and the staff. We want to improve step by step and later add bowls to the menu," reveals Domenik. Lovers of a wide variety of coffee specialties and hot drinks will also get their money's worth: from classics such as espresso or latte macchiato to specials such as flat white, matcha or iced latte. Sparkling drinks such as the currently very popular "Sarti Spritz", as well as non-alcoholic refreshments, are also on the menu at Sekas. 

"We are really looking forward to Karlsruhe and are excited to see what the future holds for our very special café. Of course, it would be great if we could be a role model for other companies and restaurants so that more people with disabilities are integrated," says Domenik. 

Let Sekas and the whole team inspire you and get to know this special new café concept in Karlsruhe! Current insights are now available on Instagram.

Café Sekas is supported as part of the City Transformation Process of the City of Karlsruhe.