Over the past year and into the summer, Owen-Ames-Kimball construction company constructed a

cafe in the new connector hall, which is now open.

“The cafe was part of the vision with our last school bond that was passed. Our school's leadership

team had the vision for having one in school. They've become common in many local high schools, and

it's an awesome thing to have,” said school counselor Joe Kessel. This school year the Eagle Cafe is open

after passing a health inspection. Kessel gives credit to the construction workers, custodial employees,

and food service team for meeting the health code requirements.

Some of the items currently available are lattes with a choice of flavoring syrup, chai teas,

strawberry and/or dragon fruit refreshers, and regular coffee. “Our fall special right now is just a pumpkin

spice latte and we also have pumpkin spice that we can put onto a drink of your choice,” said cafe worker,

Abrie Dewitt. The prices of the drinks range between $2 and $7. Compared to chain coffee shops like

Starbucks and Biggby, the Eagle Cafe is relatively affordable. By ordering coffee from the cafe, students

are supporting the school and saving money. Although the cafe doesn’t currently offer food, the plan is to

sell food options like bagels and paninis by second trimester. The products sold at the Eagle Cafe are

provided by a collection of different places, but the majority of the produce comes from local grocery

stores and online distributors. For those wondering, the profit made from the cafe is put into a school

fund.

“We have an application process for rising juniors and seniors that gets done around the time

students sign up for their next year's classes. In general, our student baristas have experience working in

food service outside of school, great school attendance, and experience taking our foods or business

classes,” said Kessel, who manages the cafe and its workers.

Working at the cafe counts toward a business credit. The training of the cafe workers entailed

Kessel teaching them how to work the coffee equipment during the orientation that took place this past

summer. “I was a barista for six years on nights and weekends, and I really loved that line of work. When

I became a dad, I stepped away from working at coffee shops to prioritize time at home with my family,”

said Kessel, who trained the workers.

If anyone is interested in getting something and supporting the Eagle Cafe, it is open from the

beginning of zero hour to about 10 minutes before the second lunch ends.

New Cafe Offers New Food and Drink Opportunities for Students

Claire Anderson