Attention all coffee addicts. South is in the works on producing a coffee shop located in the library sometime this school year. South’s coffee shop will feature hot and cold versions of coffee, smoothies, refreshers, lemonades, and pastries.
A questionnaire, composed by senior Alexis Tamewitz, a future coffee shop employee, asked for students’ and teachers’ opinions on what they’d like to see at South’s coffee shop. Tamewitz said, “One of the things that were most popular were the lemonades, refreshers and smoothies. Coffee actually fell into the third and fourth spot in popularity. I was surprised that so many people didn’t actually want coffee to be one of the main things sold.” With so much attention towards beverages other than coffee, they’re thinking about changing the idea of a coffee shop into a cafe.
Because of federal dietary restrictions on school food, the pastries offered may have to be low calorie. Junior Wyatt Caves, a future employee of the coffee shop, said, “[The pastries] have to be 60 calories [or lower] before school ends. After school ends, it can be whatever we want.”
Being a future employee of the coffee shop, Caves and Tamewitz are a couple of the select few that are qualified enough to work there. “You have to be in third year of cooking class.” Caves said. Caves also commented on how students that will be able to work at the coffee shop could possibly get paid. “We can only get paid if we work after school. We can’t get paid during school–that’s illegal.”
Even though other beverages might be more popular, Principal Mark Fletcher said the coffee provided will be fresh and original. A past employee here at South, Wes Burton, brews coffee for a living and will be providing the coffee for the coffee shop. “This coffee will be much more fresh and authentic than a lot of the local places around. We’ve tasted some of his product and it really is good.” Fletcher said.
Fletcher also commented on the coffee shop’s future equipment. “We’ve got some really good equipment ordered so we’ll have similar [appliances] to some of the coffee shops that exist in town. It’s going to be good.”
South has just recently received the OK to start construction and hopes to get it up and running very soon. Fletcher said, “Progress is being made and we’re headed in the right direction to hopefully get this off the ground…We hope that it happens sometime this school year and we’ve controlled all of the controllables.” Fletcher continued to say how they’ve worked through the roadblocks that come with any project and are excited about moving forward.
One of the biggest components in running a student-led business is the educational value it provides. Fletcher said, “It really will be a practical application-based opportunity for kids to be involved in not just a coffee shop, but all of the business components that come with that. I think it will be a good experience.”
Fletcher also commented on how multiple teachers at South have been great help in moving this project further. “Mrs. Kerr and her classes have been a significant part of this. John Livingston, counselor, and Joel McKay, have come up with some good ideas through this entire process. Mrs. Miller, assistant principal, has also helped along with those others,” Fletcher said. He also mentioned multiple business classes who have made this project an educational experience and added how “we are fortunate enough to have…an opportunity to create something that would be nice for kids here at South.”
