DV8 Kitchen expanding

C1 3 that gives recovering addicts a job.... support... and a second chance.

And after three years... d-v-8 kitchen is preparing to open up a second location... with a larger bakery.

Abc 36's alex king spoke with one employee who says... working there has changed his life.

Alex:"an expansion for dv8 kitchen means more jobs for those who are typically overlooked."

Nat: "working here, it's given me a sense of pride."

The restaurant is designed to employ people who are in the early stages of recovery from substance abuse disorders.

Michael hedges has been working at dv8 kitchen as a server, and in the bakery for a little over a year now.

He says he was welcomed with open arms, which helped him through his recovery process.

Michael:"being able to talk to the customers, it's been really helpful, because i started out serving so i immediately had interactions with everybody.

And just being able to like be myself and talk to them and actually tell them what i'm here for and why i'm here made it a whole lot easier to get through what i was going through."

Hedges graduated from shepard's house in june... which is a place for long-term care and recovery programming.

Co-owner of dv8 kitchen rob perez... says they like to celebrate recovery... and the employees they hire are very motivated to work.

He says they want to educate people on what recovery is... rob:"people are systematically eliminated from employment when they have a past of addiction a past of incarceration and so it helps because we don't have any restrictions."

A group of businesses are coming together... including dv8 kitchen... to create a complex of health care, food, and financial wellbeing on the cland avenue,t end.

It's winchester road and third street.

The new dv8 location will have a wholesale bakery operation, as well as a second restaurant.

They plan to fill about thirty new positions... and people are already reaching out about future employment.

Alex:"perez says the timing of when they will open their new location depends on covid-19.

Reporting in lexington, alex king, abc 36 news."

Get ready for more rounds and showers...