Student post: written by Carver G, Gavin W, Liam H, Nicholas J

Temperatures are dropping and we are beginning our transition into the winter. There’s no surprise that this likely means more coffee is being bought at Fort Orange. Although Fort Orange is constantly being worked on and improved, it became apparent that its coffee line could use a rebrand in both the physical work area aesthetic and the signage that’s used in and outside of the store.

The Orange Coffee shop has been around since last year and has been growing exponentially since. “Starting the 2022-23 school year, we only offered Kcups with a basic Keurig. Then towards the end of spring, we acquired a new espresso machine to elevate our coffee brand. This year, we also added a drip coffee maker to our lineup.” claims Kaden M, our senior marketing/DECA CFO. Kaden also is working on getting the coffee brand certified through DECA’s School Based Enterprise competition, along with senior and DECA VP, Sierra T.

With a menu including lattes, americanos, espressos, and cold brews, quality is a priority and customer satisfaction is paramount. Powered by the innovative student minds in collaboration with staff, there are new ideas everyday for the future of the coffee shop. We are constantly seeking market research, teacher samples, gathering feedback, making & testing recipes as well as updating the aesthetics of the coffee shop.

Currently, votes on new logos and name ideas are being conducted by the student body at Orange. Many unique ideas for how the store should be named have been proposed along with creative logos to go with them. Two of the most popular name ideas include “Pioneer Peak” and “Pioneer Point” with various logo ideas that have the mountain or “peak” shown alongside a proud Pioneer in our school logo, symbolizing a pioneer’s ability to reach new heights. (Logo ideas shown below).

Ideas of items to put in the shop consisted of things such as a custom neon sign, coffee tables, ambient lighting and a comfortable lounge area. The vision for the future of the Fort is to have a cozy and inviting coffee shop feel, hoping to appeal to broader and more modern audiences. The new ambient lighting around the shop has also served as a great improvement from the previous overhead fluorescent lights. They bring a refreshing change from the rest of the school and are much more calming and much less headache inducing, making the Fort a relaxing break from the stressful school days of our patrons and staff.

Along with these new additions to the ambience of the store, the Fort’s coffee will only continue to get better in quality as they partner with Stauf’s coffee for the highest and freshest quality espresso beans, soon to be provided.

The future of the Olentangy Orange High School coffee experience is looking bright, as more student staff members are trained daily on the brewing process and sales continue to grow. We have the coffee station currently open during 4th, 6th and 8th lunch. Next year, possibly even next semester, we are looking for ways to also have it open during period 1 or 2 in conjunction with our Specialized Learning Center students as well as period 10 on some days as student staff members are trained and comfortable with the process.

Stop in and check it out!