Within the Berry Bean, something was brewing. The smell of coffee was in the air. People were waiting in line to make their orders, and people were sitting at tables waiting for said orders.
Every day before the start of the day, during passing periods, or at the end of lunch, people go to the Berry Bean to get their drink to get them ready for the day ahead of them. People love their brewed drinks. The Berry Bean has been a favorite since it opened in 2020, closing for a time due to COVID-19.
“My favorite part of the Berry Bean is just being able to have it here because you won’t have to spend a whole lot of money and more than go all the way to Starbucks or Scooter’s or somewhere like that, and you can go there during passing periods, before school, and during lunch just, really fun to have it right here,” freshman Kendal Kranz said.
Two years ago, after COVID-19 and renovations, the Berry Bean reopened. Some students also voted for some of the cafe’s designs to make it as comfortable for everyone.
“It was a lot to handle when the Bean and library were being renovated,” librarian Tamara Minks said. “My TAs and I moved all the books and furniture, and that was a big job. We moved into a much smaller space in the G-wing, and I kept the library going from that venue for three years. Then, my TAs and I moved everything back to the new space. I weeded over 7,000 books from the old collection and found it difficult to make all of those decisions. Naturally, I wanted to keep them all. Now, just about every book in the library is new, and it makes me proud to see students enjoying the new books.”
The Berry Bean has been thriving near the library since it finally opened. While they were closed due to COVID-19, people didn’t have the chance to learn how to craft drinks and work there. One reason it took two years to open was due to renovations of the library. The Berry Bean has positive vibes all around.
“Lia (who runs the Berry Bean) makes me surprise lattes regularly,” Minks said. “Right now, my favorite is a vanilla and caramel latte. So good. I love to get a coffee during the 4th period when you just need a little something for the afternoon.”
There are different drinks like frappes, lattes, americanos and mochas.
“I love anything that Lia recommends,” English teacher Jessica Kranz said. “She’s never led me astray yet. I’m a big fan of the vanilla chai, but I basically like anything except for black coffee. It took longer than I anticipated to open, and then COVID hit, and those poor kids that were so excited about the Berry Bean opening were crushed. It took some time to get it up and running. I would say that was the biggest problem.”
The Berry Bean has not received a lot of criticism since it opened.
”I think it is a great atmosphere,” Jessica Kranz said. “I think that it’s a really nice asset to our school, to be able to have that sensation, that unity and trade, and also, let’s be honest. I’m not a morning person, I might be running late so I don’t have time to stop and get my coffee. Well hotdog, I can go up to the Berry Bean and get myself a beverage”.
