Advancing Inclusive Hospitality Through Social Enterprise: A Case Study of Café Qabil's Disability Empowerment Model

Abstract

This case study examines Cafe Qabil, a disability-inclusive restaurant in Lahore, as a social enterprise model that promotes skill development, workplace inclusion, and self-sufficiency among persons with disabilities. The study focuses on how an NGO-led hospitality initiative can move beyond a charity-based approach and create meaningful employment opportunities through practical training and customer-facing service roles. Using a qualitative case study approach, the research explores Cafe Qabil’s business operations, recruitment and training practices, workplace support systems, customer response, and social and economic impact. The case highlights how hospitality can provide an effective platform for building communication, teamwork, confidence, grooming, hygiene, and service skills among disabled staff. It also shows that inclusive employment can create wider social value by improving dignity, reducing stigma, changing customer perceptions, and supporting greater independence. At the same time, the case identifies key challenges, including financial sustainability, service quality, training capacity, public perception, and scalability. The study contributes to the literature on social enterprise, disability inclusion, and hospitality management by presenting a local, practice-based example from Pakistan. The central message of the case is that disability inclusion becomes meaningful when it is connected with real work, structured support, and sustainable business practice. Cafe Qabil therefore offers a valuable model for NGOs, hospitality businesses, policymakers, and researchers interested in inclusive employment and social impact.