All abuzz: Trinity High School student-run coffee shop opens after a ‘latte’ collaboration
Washington’s newest coffee shop opened Monday in an unexpected place, and it’s serving up high school students with plenty of ingredients for success.
Welcome to Trinity Cafe, a freshly brewed, student-run business at Trinity High School, now serving students and staff with java and other beverages.
At Monday’s grand opening, the student “baristas” – from the high school’s business, autistic support and life skills classes – were hard at work, happily whipping up coffees, lattes, mochas, and sweet teas for a growing line of students and staff.
“We have a pretty good selection, it’s a big menu, especially for being a school cafe. We have anything from coffee to mochas and espressos to teas,” said Micha Mariana, a 10th-grade student who works at Hiller Cafe.
Business teacher Alison Migyanko and autistic support teacher JoMarie Georgi said students from their classes have had a hand in starting the cafe from the ground-up, from deciding what recipes to use, pricing products, figuring out inventory, coming up with marketing ideas, and working on customer relations skills.
For Georgi, the chance to collaborate with Migyanko’s business classes – and to create a structured learning experience in school that her students can use outside in the community – was significant.
“The opportunity to open the coffee shop came up, and the opportunity to work with the business classes in partnership, and thought of integrating our students together in order to have that peer-to-peer interaction was very exciting to us,” said Georgi.
Students also have been working with Crazy Horse Coffee, and owner James Bendel has spent the past several months teaching the budding baristas how to make the drinks, and the ins-and-outs of running a coffee shop.
The start-up was able to open with funding provided by Washington Financial. Cyprowski’s Candy Co. has partnered with Trinity Cafe to provide sweet confections, including chocolate-covered Oreos, s’mores and pretzels available for purchase.
On Monday, Bendel attended the grand opening, and showed some students the finer points of latte art, carefully pouring steaming milk into a cup of coffee and then pulling the pitcher up at the last second to create a heart.
“(The school district) reached out and asked if I’d like to help them get the coffee shop off the ground and I said, ‘Absolutely, why not?'” said Bendel. “They spent a lot of time over the summer coming up with a good plan, and we made sure it was feasible, and you’re looking at the results right now.”
Migyanko said the money from sales at the coffee shop will be funneled back into the store, and also will be used to support student events and activities at the school.
Junior Kaitlin Bockstoce, who worked at a coffee shop before becoming involved with Trinity Cafe, created this month’s special drink, Blackberry Lavender White Mocha Iced Coffee, a delightful beverage featuring lavender syrup and white chocolate sauce.
“Each month, students come up with a featured drink and they make a flier to accompany it, and the winner gets a free drink,” said Migyanko.
At the grand opening, the workers sold refillable, color-changing tumblers for $5, which students and staff members can bring back and order refills for 50 cents.
Business teacher Liz Husk opted for a pink cup (it turned purple) with a blue straw, which senior Charlotte Magon filled with iced sweet tea.
“The tea is absolutely delicious. And I got a really pretty cup,” said Husk as she chatted with the students.
Migyanko said there are other benefits of the coffee shop: the beverages are reasonably priced; students aren’t tardy because they’re no longer waiting in line at an off-site coffee shop; and there is a safety factor because students are eliminating a drive to the coffee store in the morning.
Magon said it’s been fun to watch the coffee shop thrive.
“I love this. I can come in here and work, then buy my own drink and make it myself and know it’s going to be great,” she said.
Students are also learning other soft skills, such as time management, organization and communication.
“We are really proud of this,” said Migyanko. “This has been such a phenomenal opportunity for the students. I’ve loved being able to watch it all come together.”
The coffee shop, located inside the cafeteria, is not open to the public. Hiller Cafe will typically be open from 7:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. daily.