KDC and Hugs Café Inc. have completed a new $10 million headquarters in downtown McKinney, Texas, creating a centralized campus designed to expand workforce training and employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The new 13,500-square-foot facility brings together Hugs Café, the Hugs Training Academy and the organization’s administrative offices under one roof, allowing Hugs Café to streamline operations, increase training capacity and support its long-term growth.
“This new space allows us to grow our programs and serve more individuals than ever before,” says Lauren Smith, CEO of Hugs Café Inc. “It represents a major step forward in our mission to create meaningful training and employment opportunities. We are deeply grateful for the community support and partnerships that have helped bring this vision to life and continue to make our work possible every day.”
Designed to support learning and collaboration, the facility features a commercial training kitchen, four classrooms, administrative offices, dedicated learning areas, flexible workspaces, a rooftop deck and an outdoor patio. The headquarters is expected to significantly expand the organization’s training capacity while supporting its efforts to grow its workforce development model nationwide.
Construction began in May 2025. KDC served as developer, Corgan as architect, Brasfield & Gorrie as general contractor and Valliance Bank provided strategic financial support.
“Bringing this vision to life alongside Hugs Café Inc. is a meaningful opportunity for KDC to support individuals seeking personalized training and a pathway into the workforce,” says Eric Hage, president of KDC. “We’re grateful to the Hugs Café team and our fellow donors for allowing us to play a role in creating lasting impact for these individuals and their families.”
KDC and Hugs Café celebrated the project’s completion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and facility tours attended by McKinney Mayor Bill Cox, McKinney Community Development Corporation Chair and former Mayor George Fuller, along with project partners and community supporters.
Founded in 2015, Hugs Café has grown from a single inclusive café into a nationally recognized nonprofit that now includes two café locations, two Hugs Training Academies, a national headquarters and a growing network of affiliate partners. The new facility positions the organization to serve more individuals locally while expanding its workforce development model to communities across the country.
