Bloomington High School South opens coffee shop that was five years in the making

The idea of having a coffee shop at Bloomington High School South has been percolating for over five years. Beyond brewing an occasional caffeine boost for students and staff, the concept was designed to create a real-world learning environment that would empower students with opportunities to grow their experience across a wide range of business skills including marketing, finance, personnel and inventory management, and operations. 

In February of 2019, Bloomington South counselors Joel McKay, John Livingston, and principal Mark Fletcher, along with librarians Joanna Hahn and Nancy Voskuil, ventured to Westfield and Carmel high schools to observe their coffee shop operations. While the team had a strong vision for a successful coffee shop at Bloomington South, they lacked the funding needed to put their ideas into action. 

All that changed in 2020, when the Regional Opportunity Initiatives awarded a $1.2 million Ready Schools implementation grant to the Monroe County Community School Corp. to expand its pre-K through grade 12 programs and support efforts to prepare students for job opportunities and future careers with employers throughout the region. 

Both Bloomington High School South and Bloomington High School North were part of the grant and collectively agreed to use the funds to construct a coffee shop at Bloomington South. The grant dovetailed perfectly with the educators’ coffee shop ideas and vision to have a learning lab that provides students an opportunity to gain workforce skills and experience. 

Family and Consumer Sciences educator Jeana Kerr was given the opportunity to mentor students as they embarked on their journey of building a business from the ground up, discovering what works best for a high school coffee shop that would ultimately carry the name “Scholar Sips,” a play on the word “scholarships.”

Preparing to open Scholar Sips

Opening the coffee shop has not been easy. The physical construction phase of the project started with obtaining a permit in August of 2023. The team had to determine their exact building needs based on the designated space at South adjacent to the library. Spring Point Architects aided students in designing the shop, with students from Kerr’s class helping to choose various fabrics and materials. 

The menu was developed and tested, starting with a coffee-tasting session. Kerr explained that student input was a key part of developing the menu. A questionnaire composed by senior Alexis Tamewitz, asked for students’ and teachers’ opinions about what they’d like to see at South’s coffee shop. Additionally, Kerr transformed her classroom kitchen into a test kitchen. Participants started by experimenting with one item at a time, adjusting the amounts of coffee, milk, or creamer to achieve the best-tasting coffee.

Scholar Sips’ coffee supplier, Quarrymen Coffee Roasting Company, was eager to introduce blends that the group would enjoy. Owners Wes and Debi Burton were enthusiastic about the project, providing a variety of coffees for tasting sessions in Kerr’s class and attending each one. The two also helped outfit the coffee shop with necessary equipment. Ultimately, the students settled on a Quarrymen’s house blend. 

Hiring and operations at Scholar Sips

Students are selected to work at Scholar Sips after completing five to six trimesters (two to three years) of Kerr’s hospitality and management class, which is also part of a graduation career pathway. However, there are exceptions. Kerr occasionally recognizes students who demonstrate exceptional leadership and business skills, often highlighted through their engagement and performance in her class, and offers them the chance to join the Scholar Sips team sooner.

Before students begin working in the coffee shop, they must complete the MCCSC internal controls and cash handling procedures, including signing off on the fiscal management portion to confirm their participation in the training. Additionally, students receive hands-on training to prepare them for every aspect of running the shop, including mastering every drink recipe, operating the brewing equipment and payment terminal, and understanding proper operating procedures.

To manage tasks like inventory ordering and bookkeeping, Kerr’s students collaborate with business teacher Adam Price’s class. Every day, business students visit the coffee shop to count the money from sales, reconcile it with Squarespace, and check the inventory. 

Kerr explains, “(They learn to) arrive on time, be dedicated to what they’re doing, (and) show responsibility. They’re running a business (at Scholar Sips).They could actually leave here and they’re a barista, and they could go find a job.” 

Working, and learning, at Scholar Sips

Sophomore staff member Haley Henderson said her experience at Scholar Sips has taught her how to communicate more effectively with her peers, and has better prepared her for future endeavors. 

“It’s given me really good work experience for what I want to do when I’m older. I want to own my own restaurant, so it’s been really helpful for that kind of stuff,” Henderson said.

Junior staff member Wyatt Caves said working there has made him a “(better) leader,” taking charge more often than he used to. 

“Before, if someone didn’t do (something they were supposed to), I wouldn’t care. I wouldn’t correct them or anything. But now, I definitely have a larger voice,” Caves said. 

Students are not only responsible for making drinks and managing money at the coffee shop, but also for cleaning. Many students are assigned tasks such as wiping down tables, sweeping the floor, doing dishes, and cleaning the coffee-making machines.

Senior Tiana Hicks said she enjoys that the group can still have fun while cleaning the coffee shop. 

“It felt like we were part of something,” Hicks said. 

Furthermore, Kerr emphasized the importance of recognizing the cleaning crew’s efforts. 

“I’m really proud of the students because we (passed) our very first health inspection with flying colors because we keep a very clean coffee shop,” Kerr said. 

Kerr makes it a point to allow her students to make mistakes, believing that fosters a growth mindset essential for learning.

“We have a growth mindset in here. If we can’t make mistakes, we can’t learn. A lot of times, I just watched and let the mistakes happen,” Kerr said. 

Since opening in April of 2024, Scholar Sips has greatly impacted the school community.

“It’s been (an) overwhelming, positive response,” Kerr said. 

“I think it’s helped a lot of students because it's cheaper than Starbucks, (for example), (and) they won’t have to actively leave school to go get their coffee,” Henderson said.

“(Students are able) to come in and feel safe and comfortable to be able to sit, talk, and do whatever they feel they need to do,” senior staff member Tyana Jones said. 

Kerr called attention to a particular moment during price comparisons that embodies the essence of Scholar Sips. Students individually priced every component, from cups to lids to straws to stoppers, then calculated the total cost of their product. Then, students compared their drink prices to prices at other establishments such as  Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, McDonald's, and Wendy’s. 

After comparing, students realized they could charge more for their services. However, Kerr grounded the group, reminding them of their mission: to provide a welcoming environment for students to come and enjoy their drinks.  

“It has nothing to do with profit. We are not profit-driven. We are just trying to provide a service for the school (and cover our expenses),” Kerr said. 

“We are hopeful to continue adding different drinks and (specialty drinks). Every time we have something special going on in the school, we hope to have a drink (for the occasion). Then we're also going to start on pastries,” Kerr said. 

This year, South’s prom theme was “A Night in Malibu,” inspired by "Barbie." In honor of the event, the coffee shop sold a “Malibu Sunset” drink, consisting of pineapple and pink lemonade ingredients. 

Next year, Scholar Sips hopes to expand its operations by adjusting its hours to better suit students’ schedules. The soft opening at the end of this school year provided valuable insight into demand and allowed the student team to perfect their approach. 

“I think (those additions) will help a lot. The kids seem really excited about it,” Kerr said.

Cricket Shelton is a student at Bloomington High School South. Would you like to become a high school correspondent at Bloomington North or Edgewood? Contact H-T News Director Jill Bond to express your interest in reporting on happenings at your high school at jbond@heraldt.com.