Mom and daughter's new boutique has a mission

NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - Stacey Wohl has a new purpose. The former owner of Cause Cafe switched gears from coffee to clothing.

She started Cause Cafe in 2015 to help people on the autism spectrum find work. But despite her best intentions, she couldn't quite make it.

Her latest endeavor is Be Cause Lifestyle Boutique. The single mother of two autistic children is trying another way to give back to the community.

"Well, we had Cause Cafe," Wohl said. "I tried it three times and after three times of trying I realized I'm not a chef."

Instead, she was a showroom saleswoman and had a storefront. So the clothing, jewelry and lifestyle boutique better suits the fashion designer.

But the journey hasn't been an easy one. The 51-year-old lost both of her parents earlier this year. Opening the store was a way to help her oldest daughter, Brittney, find employment.

"Brittney helps me unload the merchandise, we price everything. I taught her how to put the stickers on, she plus the clothing out, she greets people with her iPad, she gives people big hugs," she said. "This is somewhere I can do everything."

The style is eclectic with a focus on local and international women-owned businesses that give back to charities.

"Anybody can go online and order something that way on the computer but you don't get to meet Brittney and you don't get to sit down and meet someone and tell your story," Wohl said. "Even if it's for 10 minutes you really could change someone's day. That's what we're trying to do here."

Wohl hopes to hire young adults with autism once sales pick up. She said everyone should feel like they're productive members of society.

"I lost myself for the last 20 years in autism and I feel now with this store I have found myself," she said.