Dawg House Café gets new coffee machines, new setup

Bearden’s own in-house coffee shop is hoping to grow this year by making multiple changes, ranging from how the coffee is made to how the shop is set up.

The Dawg House Café, a small area in the library where students were able go and purchase coffee in the mornings before school, opened last year.

Previously, the coffee was made in one pot and left there until people ordered it.

“We’re doing Keurig cups (this year) and so every drink is a fresh drink,” librarian Mrs. Kristen Heffern said. “Every cup is made individually instead of holding a big tank of coffee and filling it up, so it tastes better.”

Two new items have also been added to the menu, lattes and cappuccinos. The prices of the coffee has also gone down since last year; plain coffee costs $1.00, and the new lattes and cappuccinos will cost $2.00.

As the weather cools down, they are hoping to add hot tea and hot chocolate to the menu since it is something customers frequently ask for.

Currently, there are about 15 to 20 students working in the coffee shop who rotate each day of the week. There is a new schedule every month; if someone does not show up, another worker is allowed to take their place for that day. Working is open to all grades which is beneficial to students of lower grades who are not able to get a job out of school.

Students who work at the coffee shop are able to make a profit by receiving tips; also during each shift they are permitted to have one free coffee.

“Whatever tips we make we have to divide it up amongst everybody, but we get to keep them, and we get free coffee, too,” sophomore coffee shop worker Kaliyah Gutierrez said.

This year, the setup of the coffee shop has also changed. Last year, there were just multiple tables put together, but now there is an actual countertop.

Another asset added was the eating center in the library; the eating center has a new laminate floor in front of the coffee shop and provides an area for students to eat in the library – an option that was not available before.

“For right now, the biggest change is that we are selling during lunch, so if people weren’t able to come during mornings, they can now enjoy coffee during lunch too,” sophomore coffee shop worker Hiba Jahangir said.

The coffee shop is open during the morning from 7:45 to 8:20 as well as during lunch.