The Columbia Brew Coffee Shop unveiled their updated redesign of the shop in front of Superintendent Jim Hinson, as well as many others last Thursday. The redesign has been in progress this entire year, after receiving a $10,000 grant from the East Fund last year.
The main additions to the coffee shop are updated logos, new blends of coffee and a brand-new look, which includes a wall of art from students each week. Also on that wall is an inspirational quote of the week, and a joke of the week.
Junior Trent Burnum, who started working in the coffee shop this year, says the re-opening is exactly what the shop needed.
“We repainted, got new decorations, a new coffee maker and equipment,” Burnum said. “I have woodshop so we made the plaques and brought in tables. Everything is just new, so it was really cool that we got all the money to do all this.”
Junior Cole Conderman, alongside seniors Nick Miriani and Diego Galicia got involved with the redesign through Jennifer Hair’s digital design class. These three boys took the initiative in the class to help design the digital menu and new coffee shop logo. They were in charge of designing the digital menu and creating the new logo for the shop.
With a new look brought new success. According to Conderman, business since last year has doubled. During hours 1-
4, business has tripled.
“I just love all the new cosmetic things about the shop,” Conderman said. “I think it looks so much better than it used to, almost like a real coffee shop.”
Special Education teacher Julie Paradise has worked with the coffee shop for 10 years, and is excited about the re-opening. One of her favorite aspects of the coffee shop is that Special Ed students get the opportunity to work in the shop.
“A lot of these kids are currently unemployable,” Paradise said. “They have to learn those skills, and you can’t get a job until you learn them. So we teach those skills, and then our goal for them is to leave the coffee shop and go get a job in the real world.”
She also finds it very helpful to Special Ed students that other students work in the coffee shop with them.
“It gives us a really wonderful vehicle for inclusion, for an inclusive place where everybody can go,” Paradise said. “I think it puts East ahead of the game.”