Leah Meyer is a gift wrapped in blue and yellow, an entrepreneur who wears the colors of Down syndrome awareness.

She bakes pastries and works the espresso machine at the Mermaid Café, the coffee shop she founded in May. She hosts her own show on YouTube, Cooking With Leah. 

As Meyer explained to the Down Syndrome Association of South Texas Conference in February, “I’m an actress, a model, a social media influencer, a chef and now, a cafe owner.”

In short, she is a Christmas miracle.

Look under the tree: It will be hard to find anything as marvelous and moving as Meyer’s story. The Mermaid Café is the fulfillment of a dream. At age 4, Meyer told her parents she wanted to open a restaurant. At 24, she did.

The cafe’s website offers a simple descriptor — “Specialty Coffee by Special People” — and a greeting from the founder:

“I’m Leah Meyer and my family and I have set out on a journey to launch a coffee shop on a mission to employ people with disabilities to serve in all capacities while serving up elevated coffee, sweet treats and eats with a smile.”

Behind the pastry case and coffee machines are employees who are hearing impaired and autistic. Four have Down syndrome. One works from a wheelchair. Drew and Karen Meyer, Leah’s parents, wanted to hire a staff of mostly employees with disabilities.

“Our goal was to hit 70%,” Karen said. “We’re at 80%. This is what inclusion looks like.”

Leah Meyer connects with her mom Karen Meyer as they talk at The Mermaid Café. Credit: Jo E. Norris for the San Antonio Report

Leah sets the example. She makes virtually everyone comfortable. She collaborates with Marisol Deluna New York and its line of tieless aprons and accessible kitchen items called Little Pickle and Patty Cake, which are sold at La Villita. 

And she’s participated in Marisol Deluna New York Foundation fashion shows, including one at the Arneson River Theater in 2024.

Then there’s film. Leah will appear in a thriller, “Steel Phoenix,” produced by San Antonio’s Taylor James Johnson and scheduled for release in 2026. Karen said she can’t reveal much about the film but offered this: “There’s lots of action and Leah’s character is right in the middle of it all.” 

A dream come true

Drew and Karen always knew their daughter was different. 

When Leah was a little girl, she did not like cartoons. She loved to watch Food Network. She absorbed hours and hours of cooking shows and aspired to become like her favorite chef, Rachael Ray.

“She’s my role model,” said Leah, now 25.

She also drew inspiration from a Disney character, Tiana, who opened a restaurant in “The Princess and the Frog.” 

“I’m a dreamer,” Leah said. “I love baking.” 

Karen smiled, nodding in agreement. 

“Ever since she was little, she was always working in the kitchen,” Karen said. “And she just always said, ‘I want to have a restaurant.’” 

Drew marvels. “She is an entrepreneur at heart,” he said. “She has the biggest heart and is constantly thinking of ways to include people in everthing she does.”

Leah Meyer, a 25-year-old chef and entrepreneur who created The Mermaid Café, dances around the shop like Gene Wilder in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”. Credit: Jo E. Norris for the San Antonio Report

Leah’s parents put muscle and money into her dream two and a half years ago. After her sister, Ana, and brother, Kane, moved into adulthood, Leah’s father left his career in the food truck business. Karen set aside time from her speech pathology practice. They built the Mermaid  Café and issued a social media call: We’re hiring. Please apply! 

Dozens of applications poured in. 

“We had such an influx.” said Karen, who continues her practice. “It exceeded our expectations — by far.”

The Meyers made operations special-needs friendly. They installed a push-button espresso machine. They prepared pastry dough in advance for baking.

“We set systems in place so that people could learn how to do everything,” Karen said. “There will be days when Drew will come home and say, ‘I didn’t make a coffee today because the employees did it all.’”

The café serves a variety of coffees and gluten-free treats, such as pumpkin bread, cinnamon rolls and blueberry muffins. The menu also includes hot chocolate, teas, quiches and the newest item: grilled cheese and tomato soup. Most of it is prepared by the staff.

“I’m just spreading awareness,” said Leah, who uses social media accounts to share her message.

Holiday cheer at Mermaid Café

Leah isn’t the first restaurateur with Down syndrome. Tim Harris opened Tim’s Place in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2010 to much buzz. The restaurant closed in 2015 when Harris moved to Colorado and became a motivational speaker.

At Mermaid Café on Blanco Road, Leah and her co-workers serve and mingle with a diverse clientele: some with special needs, others without disabilities. An artificial tree stands in the corner, lit and flocked, surrounded by merchandise, which can be purchased for the holidays.

Drew Meyer, Leah Meyer and Karen Meyer at The Mermaid Café in San Antonio, Texas. Credit: Jo E. Norris for the San Antonio Report

The coffee shop is closed today. Leah is celebrating Christmas with her parents and siblings at home. Santa arrives each year and places gifts under the tree. In her stocking is a clue for a scavenger hunt that follows. Santa leaves a succession of clues at the Meyer home that lead the siblings to another gift.

Seated in the back of her coffee shop, Leah smiles. “That’s my favorite tradition,” she said. “I’m very good at it.”

The Mermaid Café re-opens on Friday. It is Leah’s happy place. A place where she shares coffee, smiles and hugs. A place with a reminder on the back wall, illuminated in pink: “I am enough… “

Leah wants everyone to know: they are, too.