TAMPA, Fla. — CUP: Coffee Uniting People is a new nonprofit coffee house in downtown Tampa serving up something more than a good cup of brew.

The secret ingredient isn’t in the drinks but in the people making them.

The coffee shop only hires people with special needs.

Roberto Leopardi, who is autistic, has worked at the coffee shop since it opened on March 1.

The experience and job opportunity are one most people take for granted. For Leopardi, every day is a gift.

Stephanie Williams, who manages the CUP, said their goal is to encourage and support their employees to do things on their own.

“The whole point is to let them do it on their own. We may make mistakes, we may not do it perfect that first time, but we are building confidence,” she said.

Those building blocks to success are the same for everyone, no matter their differences, and growth comes with trial and error.

That’s the magic of this shop for its employees and customers — uniting people one cup of coffee at a time.

CUP currently employs 18 people at its downtown location — with a waitlist of 38. A second location on Dale Mabry Highway in South Tampa will open this summer.