Monroeville Mall shop fills special request for Beyoncé fan

SpectroDolce in Monroeville Mall, a business created to give adults with autism to a safe place to gain work experience and job readiness skills, recently fulfilled a special request from a Beyoncé fan.

The customer wanted a package of custom Oreos for her friends, who were attending the Beyoncé concert in Chicago the weekend of May 17.

“At SpectroDolce, every order is an opportunity to connect, create and celebrate — and one recent custom request had the team truly singing with joy,” said Catherine Hughes, director of family support and community engagement at Achieving True Self Inc. “She wanted something special that would capture the spirit of ‘Queen Bey’ and match her red, white and blue concert theme.”

SpectroDolce joined Achieving True Self, a multi-state association that supports individuals with autism, behavioral health needs and intellectual disabilities, in September of 2024.

After a lot of collaboration and ingenuity on the special cookie request, the SpectroDolce team landed on the perfect trio: a red cowboy hat, a blue “B” and a sleek plain white Oreo, each covered in delicious chocolate.

“It was more than just a treat; it was a shared moment of excitement, creativity and connection with people in the community,” Hughes added. “That’s what SpectroDolce is all about.”

The average unemployment rate for adults diagnosed with autism is approximately 85%. SpectroDolce was founded by Bryan and Angie Kiger with the goal of closing that gap, and creating a safe, positive environment for employees.

SpectroDolce has a second location at 1015 Pennsylvania Ave. in Irwin. The shops serves authentic Belgian waffles, Perry’s ice cream and milkshakes, chocolate covered cookie and pretzels, fudge and other treats.

“Our goal is to transition most of our workforce into sustainable careers at one of our member companies in the Autism Employment Network, or another employer of their choosing,” Hughes said. “Some individuals may even become owners of their own franchise locations across the region and beyond.

“Our associates gain skills – and ultimately confidence – as together with their job coach, they prepare for careers of their choosing.”

For more information, visit spectrodolce.com.