Photos courtesy of Baylee Goff
If you live in Gobles, your morning cup of coffee could be an investment in local students. Gobles Public Schools has officially opened the Tiger Den Café, a student-run coffee shop that helps students develop real-world career skills.
Virtual Academy Mentor Baylee Goff, who co-manages the Tiger Den with High School Math Teacher Andy Wood, says the shop is designed to create a framework of employment for students who will one day enter the workforce, following the district’s tradition of effective, innovative academic experiences.
“We’ve always had award-winning academics, so this only adds to it,” Goff says. “We want to lead the pack and create something that’s going to build our future. We represent the Tiger Way.”
The Daily Grind
At the time of writing, the Tiger Den has been open to the public for less than one full week. Nevertheless, Goff, Wood, and the students have already settled into their groove.
Every morning before 6 a.m., two students join Goff to open the shop. They grind the beans, brew the coffee, prepare the mixes for specialty drinks, and boot up the cash register.
Morning service starts promptly at 6 a.m. Customers can get drinks inside until 7 a.m. or pick up their drinks curbside until the shop closes at 7:30 a.m.
The rest of the day is curbside service only. Wood and one or two other students open back up for the lunch rush from 10:30 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. In the afternoon, a third staff member supervises the final set of students from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., and then they close the shop until the following morning.
Brewing Success
The Tiger Den was first envisioned when local businesses expressed a need for employees who were already familiar with the expectations of a job. As such, jobs in the shop are open to any of the district’s high schoolers who would like to sign up.
For students, working at the Tiger Den involves learning vital career skills like customer service, communication, teamwork, and punctuality. Some even develop a background in marketing as they complete tasks like designing a menu for display.
As Goff and Wood begin to receive more interest from student workers, they also plan to implement a formal interview process, which will give students yet another experience to learn from as they embark on their career paths.
Espresso to Impress-o
As Goff puts it, the Tiger Den perfectly encapsulates the mission and values of Gobles Public Schools.
“Schools are always wanting to make a difference and be better than what they were yesterday. Outside of the Den, our whole goal as a school is to lead the pack,” she says. “Our core values are leadership, integrity, respect, responsibility, and pride & tradition. This is what we call the Tiger Way, and the Tiger Den absolutely represents the Tiger Way.”
The shop and the coffee it produces have already received lots of positive feedback from community members. As the school year continues, Goff looks forward to new opportunities like seasonal menu items, but more importantly, to building students’ futures—one cup of coffee at a time.
Find More Online
Follow the Tiger Den Café on Facebook for the latest news. To place an order, download the Tiger Den Café app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
