Passing Mount Ethereal Excessive Faculty alongside North South Road, one notices the partitions, sidewalks and signage of a typical academic establishment – however one in all probability would not understand {that a} thriving enterprise is situated additionally inside its limits.
On a current morning on the Blue Bear Cafe as the varsity yr drew to an in depth, senior Ocean Davis was placing the ending touches on a fruit smoothie after serving cookies and brownies to a grateful recipient. Likelihood is one other buyer will quickly order a cup of freshly brewed latte from the student-run enterprise.
The espresso on the Blue Bear Cafe is alleged to be so good that instructor Ashley Pyles didn’t hesitate to match what the kids put together to that supplied by a world chain of cafes:
“They make the very best espresso, arms down, on Starbucks each day,” Pyles mentioned proudly.
Along with quite a lot of coffees – together with Frappé, Latte and Americano – there are a number of flavors of fruit smoothies, numerous candy treats together with bundt muffins, snacks, sizzling chocolate, cider and extra Once more.
The Blue Bear Cafe menu moreover contains specialty drinks that includes what has apparently grow to be an area sensation, bubble teas.
But maybe the very best product served up there may be success – cooked up day by day by apron-wearing pupil entrepreneurs who achieve invaluable enterprise expertise through the faculty yr that may assist them in a profession.
“It is by no means about espresso,” mentioned Polly Lengthy, Workforce Initiatives Coordinator, when discussing the mission concerned, or for that matter caffeine, the boosting ingredient on this fashionable drink. .
“It is all about expertise,” added Lengthy, a longtime worker of the varsity system who’s credited with making the on-campus enterprise a actuality.
“A student-run cafe has been Polly Lengthy’s dream for years,” reads a press release ready at the side of the Blue Bear Cafe program receiving particular recognition from the municipal authorities at a current council assembly. This assertion additionally refers back to the position that “terribly proficient college students” performed in its success.
The cafe, which began in 2019, goals to offer focused youth with primary life expertise coaching and create a pathway to employment within the service sector.
For instance, junior Jennifer Griffin has her sights set on changing into a pastry chef.
The Blue Bear Cafe operates by way of the varsity’s Skilled Research Program Unit and is overseen by academics Jennifer Gentry and Ashley Pyles along with Lengthy.
“Jennifer is sort of our pastry chef,” Gentry mentioned of Griffin’s inescapable position within the operation.
Roughly 10 college students are enrolled in this system in any given tutorial yr. In addition they attend common courses along with working a set variety of hours for espresso, constituting class durations. It’s open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout faculty phrases.
Pupil Innovators
The Blue Bear Cafe occupies a strategic house in the highschool’s media middle, which supplies an inviting setting to take pleasure in a drink or snack that arguably rivals that of any cafe on the planet. The environment are pleasantly lit by giant bay home windows overlooking North South Road.
The place was fitted out with the assistance of Goodwill Industries, Lengthy mentioned, which helped present start-up funds to accumulate new furnishings and fixtures.
It’s tastefully adorned with partitions painted in a light-weight brown and olive inexperienced colour scheme, printed with phrases corresponding to “serve kindness a cup of time” and inspirational phrases corresponding to “think about”, “create”, ” encourage” and others.
The scholars reply by consistently including new drinks and have even developed an internet site to advertise the corporate. A Blue Bear Cafe Fb web page is accessible to facilitate ordering.
The college’s spotless kitchen is situated in a facet room, close to a counter the place college students seek the advice of library supplies as a part of a harmonious twin existence between the 2 faculties. A present store specializing in student-made items can be situated on the cafe, providing gadgets corresponding to mugs and t-shirts and handcrafted gadgets from native entrepreneurs.
Along with the culinary expertise honed by younger individuals, different skills are discovered that they will apply to many different profession endeavors moreover a restaurant itself.
These embrace management, communication, organizational expertise and teamwork, in addition to the precise duties of coping with the general public to take orders, give change from a money register and course of orders by bank card.
“They see it in actual time,” Lengthy mentioned of the impression left on these within the exterior world who can see schooling utilized to actual enterprise. The scholars concerned are a mixture of higher and decrease courses who present a seamless transition with information switch as they arrive and go.
“They principally discover ways to run a enterprise on their very own,” Pyles noticed.
Whereas the cafe is closed for the summer season, earlier than resuming operations with the beginning of the brand new faculty yr, it has been fashionable with members of the general public who can name in and take orders on campus.
In different circumstances, giant orders will even be delivered to clients.
“We’re at the hours of darkness,” Lengthy mentioned of the price of this service given hovering fuel costs. “What we are attempting to do is break even, with all earnings going on to the corporate.
“We use a few of that cash to take them (college students) on discipline journeys,” Gentry suggested.
Lengthy hopes to develop the Blue Bear Cafe to a downtown location if one may be discovered underneath the correct circumstances.
Metropolis Honors
The whiff of Blue Bear Cafe’s success wafted from Metropolis Corridor a number of miles away, as evidenced by the particular recognition it acquired at a current assembly of the Mount Ethereal Board of Commissioners.
Pyles attended this session with two college students, Griffin and fellow junior Shatavia Robison, who had been there for a presentation on this system highlighted by the women handing out chocolate chip cookies to these in attendance.
The cookies had been contained in colourful wrappers with labels touting sentiments corresponding to “be form” and “select happiness”.
“This program is all about our children initially,” Pyles mentioned of the trouble that “simply blew my thoughts.”
“The Blue Bear Cafe is likely one of the shining lights of the Mount Ethereal faculty system,” remarked Commissioner Jon Cawley, whereas thanking Polly Lengthy for her involvement.
“I do know you’ll go far in life,” Commissioner Marie Wooden instructed the scholars.
“Nice job, girls,” mentioned Joe Zalescik of the board.
“That is what a neighborhood like Mount Ethereal is and may be,” Mayor Ron Niland mentioned of the cafe’s success.