MACON, Ga. — Why stop for coffee when your school can bring the coffee shop to you? On this edition of ‘School of the Week,’ we’re highlighting a school which opened a café that’s been in the works since June 2021.
The twist? The customers and employers are students! Here’s what Howard High School has been brewing…
"Just seeing all of the students smiling and showing up to get coffee, it's just something to look forward to every morning,” said Jaylen Parham.
Seniors Parham and Cameron Russell know two types of grinds – coffee and the classroom. They clock in every morning for class and their new part-time job, which are conveniently located in the same place.
“Wednesday was the grand opening of our brand-new coffee shop, so we got to open it up and give students something to look forward to when they show up to school. It's actually working out pretty good,” said Parham.
The Howling Huskie coffee shop opens bright and early at 7:15 a.m. Monday through Friday.
“We actually have to be here at 6:15 a.m., so I had to adjust my schedule a little bit, but it actually helps being able to show up to school on time [and] have something to look forward to,” he said.
Students enrolled in the school’s Career, Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE) program run the café, but you’d never be able to tell because you get the real-life coffee shop experience while students get real-life work experience.
"It teaches me how to work in the business, how to work with a team, how to do everything right and on time, and stick to the same schedule,” said Russell.
N’yasha O’Neal is the district’s marketing department chair, the school’s marketing teacher AND the reason the Howling Huskie café came to life.
She says the plan has been in the works for over eight months and it’s surreal to see it all come together.
"The kids really like the coffee; the kids really like the real-world experience. Some of them feel like they're actually baristas! They're enjoying it, they're loving it,” she said.
But it doesn’t stop there… O’Neal says they’d like to put out a Howling Husky coffee shop app that will allow students to place orders online and get deliveries.