Arts & Entertainment
Restaurant Run by Neurodivergent Staff in Buenos Aires Offers Inclusive Dining Experience
by Grace Friedman
This article is part of a reporting project from students at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism on stories from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
“Alamesa is a restaurant that is mainly driven by people with neurodivergences,” said Executive Director Sebastian Wainstein. “Most of all, people with autism or (on the) spectrum. So, we have 40 people working on the spectrum, and all the…main things to make the restaurant happen are driven by them.”
Alamesa aims to empower individuals with intellectual disabilities through a revolutionary lunch-only restaurant that uses specialized ovens as well as no knives or open flames.
“We…develop(ed) a system where, actually we call it a language, where the customers don’t know…how to read it, but the people that work here are able to read it,” said Wainstein.
To help individuals with reading disabilities, the restaurant has a color-coded menu so ingredients are easily matched to any of the ten dishes they serve.
“That’s why you need to be over-staffed, because there’s a lot of stimulus going on in terms of visual stimulus…. So that’0s for them, it’s a lot,” explained Wainstein. “So that’s why they need to take breaks. And in that sense, you need to have more stuff.”
Maria Francisca Widela is the staff director and plays a key role in mentoring and training the staff.
“They taught me to be a better person because I always work in gastronomy, and it’s rough. Gastronomy is rough,” says Widela. “And so they taught me to soften my personality and to see their life in another perspective. So, it’s like I teach them some kind of gastronomy, and they teach me how to be a better person.”
One of those employees is Cata Dantur, 26, who has worked at Alamesa since its opening.
“My role at Alamesa is to serve the customers — drinks, food, dessert, and coffee,” said Dantur.
Alamesa has not only given Dantur a job, but also a community.
“I work together with all my colleagues, and for me, my job and my coworkers are the most important things in my life,” said Dantur.
The restaurant provides meaningful opportunities for its employees while also leaving a lasting impression on its customers.
“The food was delicious, I love the place,” says Debora, an Alamesa customer. “It’s very well maintained, and there’s a lot of empathy between the staff and me. So, it’s a very nice experience.”
Alamesa’s popularity is a testament to its impact. It’s proving that a restaurant can serve more than just food — it can serve as a beacon of inclusion and opportunity.
