Student-Run Coffee Shop Offers Students Opportunity To Learn Business Management In Real-World Setting – CoffeeTalk

Brewed Awakening is a coffee shop on campus that offers a unique environment for students to put their skills and knowledge to work in a real-world business setting. The shop, operated by Lopers with support from the UNK College of Business and Technology, is located on the lower level of the West Center building. It allows students to put their skills and knowledge to work in a real-world business setting, creating a unique environment for hands-on learning.

The shop is open 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, so employees have plenty of time to study after work and on weekends. This is a major perk, according to Becca Koch, who has built confidence in herself and developed valuable leadership skills.

During her time as manager, Koch has built confidence in herself and developed valuable leadership skills. She now talks to everybody and is comfortable communicating with her peers. Daylee Dey, a junior from Seward studying business administration and supply chain management, feels like she has grown a lot by working here.

The coffee shop also serves as a classroom for students in Travis Hollman’s small business management course. In fall 2023, the UNK lecturer started partnering with Brewed Awakening to add an experiential learning component to his instruction. The course fills fast, and there is almost at the point where they need to offer two face-to-face sections because there is enough demand for it now. Each student in the class – a total of 26 this semester – is required to work a few shifts behind the counter to get a better feel for the business. That firsthand experience is beneficial when they are split into teams focusing on areas such as products and pricing, finances, human resources and operations, innovation and marketing and promotions.

Brewed Awakening creates a connection between the classroom and actual business operations, allowing students to be boots on the ground inside the operation.

The small business management class at UNK has significantly impacted Brewed Awakening, a student-run coffee shop on campus. Students calculate profit margins on each item to set competitive prices and determine which products should stay or go. They also came up with the idea for a customer loyalty card and a Faculty Flavor Faceoff competition that featured personalized drinks representing various UNK faculty, served by a few “celebrity” baristas from across campus. This promotion tripled sales during the promotion.

The class is currently working on an online ordering system to improve service during passing periods and an outreach effort targeting students and organizations within Discovery Hall and the College of Education. Clayton Kelly, a UNK senior from Gretna, is part of the innovation team working on that outreach plan. He believes that the experiences provided by Brewed Awakening are excellent preparation for his Master of Business Administration program and his future career.

The students in the class can apply the skills they learn in the entrepreneurship center, such as communication, customer service, marketing, and project management, to their job after graduation. Sara Bennett, director of UNK’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Rural Development, works with students in the small business management class, which partners with Brewed Awakening to improve operations at the student-run coffee shop.

In addition to the educational aspects, Brewed Awakening serves another important purpose: it builds a sense of community within the College of Business and Technology and west campus by providing a welcoming space for students, staff, faculty, and others to meet, study, or hang out. The space was completely remodeled and reimagined during a $1 million renovation project completed at that building in early 2021.

With the renovation, the area has a modern coffee shop feel, making it a space for community and collaboration.

Read More @ UNK News