This year, the Business, Marketing & Finance class has officially opened its cafe. The cafe is operated inside of business teacher Tina McDoniel’s classroom every two weeks on Friday first, second and fourth block.
The cafe consists of iced coffees, loaded sodas and apparel. They also hope to sell beef sticks and popcorn soon. The coffees range from $3- $5, as well as the sodas, and apparel ranges from $15 – $25. The class uses their earnings to go towards field trips and SkillsUSA.
The students who help operate the cafe work hands on, learning many of the skills they learn during class. The students get a better idea on how to market products, run a business, keep track of inventory, the finance aspect, and how to deal with customers.
Junior Bella Harris has experience working with many of the same skills she needs for the cafe. From previous jobs, she has learned how to use an espresso machine and be creative with the drinks.
“When I worked at Havens, we learned how to use an espresso machine, so I got really good at that, and then mixing and coming up with new flavors,” Harris said.
Sophomore Davong Bhajat works the register for the cafe, which consists of taking orders and writing names on the cups.
Both students find ways to relate the cafe to the actual business class.
“It teaches different skills that could be used in the workplace later in life,” Bhajat said.
Although the cafe seems to be popular among the school, there are a few challenges, such as capturing students and teachers interest and being able to operate on days that do not interfere with other activities.
“ Keeping people interested in it, and just being able to find time that people can come,” McDoniel said.
In hopes to gain more popularity and earn more money to go towards SkillsUSA and trips, McDoniel and her class has been brainstorming an idea, which is to go out to the carline and sell drinks to parents of guardians waiting.
“During the fourth block, most everybody that wanted coffee already got it, so we were hoping that maybe we can sell a little bit more…so that’s kinda something that we’ve got in the works,” McDoniel said.
Lastly, McDoniel wants to thank the teachers who are bringing their students and she appreciates the growth.
