Oldenburg Academy Opens Sustainable Coffee Shop

The Friendly Bean is helping the environment while creating a space for students and teachers to gather.

(Oldenburg, Ind.) - The Friendly Bean, OA’s sustainable coffee shop, is thriving under the direction of two students, Lizzie Geraci and Anna Carballo. With their infectious attitude and superb coffee making skills, these young women have created a space for students to get a morning pick-me-up or a homemade snack. The coffee shop serves a variety of drinks all in glasses or returnable to-go cups—with the goal of reducing plastic waste at school. “I’ve learned how to make macchiatos, lattes, and frappes,” remarks Geraci, “but more importantly, I’ve learned how to make coffee that the students want to buy.”

And more students are buying the coffee, creating an atmosphere of camaraderie. “I like the feeling of family we get at the coffee shop,” say Anna Carballo, “Everyone who comes in chats about their day, and working here has helped me get to know underclassmen and other people in the school.” From 7:30 to 10, students stop in between periods and Seniors who have finished their internship for the day hang out before returning to class. The coffee shop is, as Carballo indicates, a lively place where the school meets and visits with each other. Even teachers find time to mingle with the students. Mr. Feller, a toasted marshmallow latte drinker, comments that “It’s a time for people to interact with each other outside of the classroom setting, which is fun.”

While the coffee shop certainly wants to be a place for social interaction, its other goal is an environmental one. Funds provided by the Hillenbrand’s VISION grant allowed OA to start the shop. The aim is to get students and faculty to make decisions that lessen the impact on the Earth. “I used to think reducing single-use plastics in my life was impossible, but the coffee shop has shown me many ways to achieve that goal,” shares Carballo. Lizzie Geraci was already concerned about the environment, so working at the Friendly Bean made sense. “This internship is making an impact. With Dunkin serving coffee is plastic cups that are not recyclable, it’s important to make decisions that reduce our plastic waste and this coffee shop does just that,” points out Geraci. Geraci, who makes cinnamon rolls, blueberry pastries, and other delectable treats to sell, also sees other benefits. “We make it more accessible for students to grab a quick breakfast here at school. Having warm homemade baked goods brings a friendly personal touch to the morning,” she says. Her classmates agree. Senior Elizabeth Gigrich made the switch to getting her coffee at the Friendly Bean, “Lizzie and Anna know my order and share new flavors they know I will love. The welcoming environment and sweet treats make my morning routine so enjoyable.”

Both Geraci and Carballo hope the coffee shop has a sustaining presence as does the school. The intention is to reinvest all the store’s profits into other sustainability efforts that will, ultimately, encourage all OA students to make choices with a focus on the environment. “It would be great if the Friendly Bean were the first step toward completely eliminating plastic waste here at our school and the inspiration for adopting more wide-ranging eco-friendly practices,” Geraci says. No doubt, future generations would agree.