City councilor Corriveau preserves inclusive mission

 

Councilor-at-Large Jaclyn Corriveau plans to open Downtown Grounds Café at 67 Main St. on Oct. 1. (Jaclyn Corriveau )

City councilor Corriveau preserves inclusive mission

September 8, 2026 by Sophia Harris

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A city councilor is taking over the former Breaking Grounds Café space, with plans to revive the downtown coffee shop while continuing its mission of creating employment opportunities for adults with disabilities.

Councilor-at-Large Jaclyn Corriveau plans to open Downtown Grounds Café at 67 Main St. on Oct. 1. She took possession of the space Sept. 1 and is working with a small hospitality team to prepare the café, develop its menu, and launch its website and social media pages.

Corriveau said the coffee shop filled an important role in Peabody Square before Northeast Arc closed Breaking Grounds at the end of July.

“I think it’s a really important part of the downtown to have that coffee shop,” Corriveau said. “So many people saw it as this really positive place to gather, to meet friends and to really be in a space that made them forget about their everyday troubles.”

Northeast Arc operated Breaking Grounds for nearly a decade, pairing food and coffee service with job training for adults with disabilities. The organization announced the closure this summer, citing rising costs and uncertainty surrounding state and federal funding.

At the time, Northeast Arc said it planned to continue using the Main Street property for programs, meetings, and events through the remaining two years of its lease. Corriveau has since taken over that lease and will operate the café under a for-profit model.

Although the name is changing, Corriveau intends to preserve the former café’s emphasis on inclusion. After spending the first few months establishing the business, she plans to employ one adult with disabilities at a time and help that employee eventually transition into a permanent job in the hospitality industry.

Corriveau said she is exploring potential partnerships with Northeast Arc and other nonprofit organizations to develop a program that works within the café’s business model.

“Ever since the funds have been cut for supporting these programs, I think more business owners need to step up and figure out a way to make that model work with their for-profit model,” she said.

Corriveau has hired two women with careers in the hospitality industry, including Knicki Foss, who previously managed Breaking Grounds. Corriveau said Foss’ familiarity with the location, its customers, and its operations will be an asset as the new café gets underway.

Downtown Grounds will also retain some of Breaking Grounds’ most popular menu items, including the Number Three breakfast sandwich and the Green Eggs and Ham sandwich. Corriveau said the café will serve flatbreads, soups, salads, and other café fare.

The space is being redesigned with earth tones, live plants, and a light, airy atmosphere intended to give customers a comfortable place to gather. Corriveau said passersby have already stopped at the door to ask when the café will open.

“We don’t have a coffee shop downtown, and I think there’s a void,” she said.

Corriveau said she hopes Downtown Grounds can restore the sense of community that patrons associated with Breaking Grounds.

“The only thing better than being in a welcoming space is creating one for other people,” she said. “My top priority is to bring back that feeling.”