Pan-seared Norwegian Salmon with herb roasted potatoes, soft shell crab spaghetti, grilled Australian ribeye beef steak topped with demi-glace sauce. These are entrées that would be typically served in a respectable restaurant, easily relished by any discerning patron.

And yet, at Iron Nori, these dishes might be tough sells for the common Singaporean diner.

You see, Iron Nori is a social enterprise that trains and employs differently-abled employees to prepare them for the F&B industry, with up to 50 per cent of its staff comprising people with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other intellectual disabilities. The front-of-house service is manned by special needs crew, who take on roles such as a cashier, server, waiter or cleaning steward.

It’s an uphill battle, taking on the expectations of Singaporeans, says Bernard Chan, a volunteer strategic operations consultant at Iron Nori. When asked about some of the challenges Iron Nori faced, Chan didn’t hold back about his thoughts on “demanding” diners.

“There is an expectation for low-priced food, fast table service, big portions, surplus of paper napkins and cutleries,” he observed, pointing us to a couple of negative reviews left behind by past Iron Nori patrons.

For full article, please visit: https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/how-iron-nori-and-carousell-are-inspiring-empathy-and-altruism-among-local-businesses