Regis Cafe
By: Mylah Etzel
The Regis Cafe is a coffee cart located in the student center at Regis High School. It is open every Monday and Friday from 7:30 – 8:15 am. It is also a class run by Selena Schumacher and Brigid Stoops every Wednesday for two hours. The Regis Cafe was first a student idea thought of by Faith Hedrick and Zerell Stoops. After drawing logos in class and giving the idea more thought, they decided to go and make their dreams a reality. They went and talked to Mrs. Schumacher, and she helped that idea come alive, first by getting a coffee cart with a very charitable donation from Larry Etzel. When asked what inspired her to support the vision come to life, Mrs. Shumacher said, “I enjoy helping students’ ideas flourish, working beside the students, and helping them become their full potential.” The Regis Cafe has many different purposes other than just making coffee. It helps students reach their full potential, creates a work ethic in students, and creates a community of people coming together to bring something new to Regis.
The coffee cart doesn’t just run itself. We have 14 hardworking baristas and two mentors overseeing and helping the baristas become their very best at the coffee cart. The baristas all have many different jobs; Marcus Hurst and Peyton Stuckart are always jumping in to assist and help anyone when asked; Noah Koenig is the coffee’s cart comedic relief and also the person of sale (the cashier) a lot. Erik Silbernagel and Rachel Koellman are our newest baristas and have caught on very quickly. Zerell Stoops helps come up with all of our signature drinks and helps run and create posts for the cafe’s Instagram page. Haiden Mumey and Faith Hedrick help organize and take inventory of the cafe. Haiden also makes all the signs we put out when the cafe opens.
Luke helps with the menu that is put on the TV screen when ordering, and he is also the person that helps with the playlists when the cafe plays music. Norberto Navarro and Micah Diacetis are the behind-the-scenes guys. They are always making lemonade and cleaning up anything we need help with. Kaila Hayes takes inventory and also is a considerable drink maker. She helps Zerell with a lot of our signature drinks. Cole Laube also helps out in the mornings and brings more fun to the cafe. I take inventory, and I also help restock the cart every Wednesday. The cafe was only possible with Selena Schumacher and Brigid Stoops. Selena orders and tends to everything the cafe needs; she also goes early in the morning to turn on the coffee machine before anyone arrives. She helps in any way she can. Brigid Stoops worked at Starbucks for ten years, so she has some coffee experience under her belt. When asked why she decided to be a mentor at the cafe, Brigid said,” I worked at Starbucks for a long time, and I enjoyed it a lot, so I wanted to help out at the cafe! I also wanted to get more involved in the school with my kids, and this was the perfect opportunity for me!” Brigid and Selena are huge contributors, and everyone at the cafe thanks them for everything they have done!
The Regis cafe has come up with a signature drink every month they have been open. On Wednesday, the baristas get together and make various drinks they feel represent the month. Every barista tastes the drink, whether blended, hot, flavored lemonade or an Italian soda. The class then votes on which drink they like the best, and they put that drink as the new signature drink. The signature drinks they have come up with so far are Irish Isles blended hot or cold, Hazelnut brown sugar cinnamon oat milk latte or HBO, Perfect Match Mocha blended hot or cold, Candy Cane Forest blended hot or cold, April showers bring May flowers and March Madness. These drinks are all still available any time they are open. The cafe also does special drink events, for example, the musicals Southern Hospitality and Xanadu, Basketball games, or the latest appearance at Hall of Fame night.
The most significant part of the cafe is not just the drinks. It is also all the people who brought this idea together and continue to buy from the coffee cart. Community is a massive part of the cafe; the people who order are a huge part of why we do this class. When asked why the Community is an essential part of the coffee cart to her, Faith Hedrick answered,” Community is a crucial part of the cafe because we get to be around people we wouldn’t usually talk to.” The cafe brings bonds to the baristas and even the people ordering. The P.O.S. is the person that takes the orders and marks the cups; they also get to talk to everyone ordering, which to me, is the most fun and vital part. People have three primary places they tend to gravitate towards work, home, and a place of comfort. The coffee cart is the place of comfort some of the customers find at the cafe. I honestly think a lot more schools should have opportunities just like this because of all the possibilities, such as the Community, meeting more people, knowing how to make coffee, etc… Community can make or break a business, and I think the Community that the Regis cafe has built and brought in is outstanding.
The Regis cafe has many opportunities and uses for the Regis community. The cafe’s sense of Community and creativity has genuinely transformed the mornings for Regis. Instead of just coming to school earlier, students experience the joy the cafe brings to the student center. I enjoy that the baristas are primarily in charge of the money. They have much control over what they decide the cafe should look like. The Regis cafe brings so much to Regis high school, and I am so excited to watch them flourish and grow.
(Picture below is of Norberto Navarro and Micah Diacetis working the coffee cart during Xanadu)
