Incubator program grows the next crop of businesses in San Jose’s thriving food scene

As his 12-year-old autistic son Andy swooshes around a crowded courtyard, Tony Lam chokes up and his eyes swell with joy as he glowingly talks about the business venture he founded in his child’s name.

Lam, 50, was already a successful veteran of the tech and restaurant space — he was Wingstop’s store no. 293 before operating five of the restaurant chain’s now 2,500-plus locations around the world.

But Andy’s Cafe holds a special meaning for Lam beyond its name. He believes it can become a model for other businesses to employ both neurodivergent and neurotypical people simultaneously. Aided by Prosperity Lab’s Mesa Redonda Incubation & Commissary Kitchen, Lam aims to employ 12-15 people at the new Andy’s Cafe, which he hopes will open later this month at the Center for Employment Trainin