Seniors James Banks, Jackson Piles, Lorenzo Giganti and Jack Cromley look through Blue Brew applications.

After 86.4 percent of respondents were in favor of a student-run coffee shop, the business department and marketing teacher Holly Weber prepare to open the Blue Brew coffee shop in the 2018-19 school year.

The official opening of Blue Brew will be next school year, but there will be a soft opening during the first week of May.

“We have formulated a business plan, allowing us to secure a space, name, vendor, operating budget, etc,” Weber said. “Now we are in the process of hiring and training staff, securing a product line and planning Blue Brew coffee shop decor and design.”

Despite no definitive plans yet, the location will most likely be in front of the theater, with hours of operation from 6:30 a.m. to 7:20 a.m.

“I hope that as a coffee shop, we will continue to meet the demand and provide good quality coffee and amazing customer service,” Blue Brew manager sophomore Pierce Burns said. “My job is to make sure customers are happy and everything runs smoothly. I must observe. If someone doesn’t show up it will be my job to replace them. I love business and marketing and this involves both. I want to create good memories of what I did in high school and want people to be happy with my customer service!”

Blue Brew is currently in the process of fine-tuning its product line, but it is looking to include coffee, lattes, iced tea and hot chocolate on its menu.

“We have a lot of requests and an extreme number of factors to consider, like alternative brands versus the ones previously decided due to the possibility for better deals with providers,” Burns said. “We want to inspire curiosity in our West High community to encourage people to check out the stand and hopefully purchase something. I want Blue Brew to be a West tradition and for people to want to work there.”

Baristas and managers will be paid one of three ways: Business Marketing Information and Technology (BMIT) internship credit, A+ program service hours or community service hours for government. Students get to choose.

“Profits from Blue Brew will benefit West Chest, which helps families in our attendance area who are in financial need,” Weber said.

Weber expects the students to learn what it is like to operate a small business, including exposure to accounting, management, sales, marketing and customer service.

“The great thing is that it’s like they’re opening their own business,” principal Jeremy Mitchell said. “It’s all the things that a company and the entrepreneur have to do so it’s a neat thing and I am excited to see how it goes.”