Business was booming this morning at the soft opening of the Eagles Nest Cafe, a newly-envisioned space at the Senior High that brought tables, chairs and a coffee bar to wake up a lifeless lobby outside of the gym and cafeteria. Proudly wearing their Eagles Nest Cafe aprons, students in Mrs. Missy Losito’s Crossroads program operated a credit card POS system, prepared specialty coffees and handed out baked treats they had made earlier in the week to staff members, who were stuffing their tip jar with cash and filling their hearts with smiles as they saw the long-awaited cafe stir to life. 

Funded through the Exeter Community Education Foundation (ECEF), the cafe allows Crossroads students, who are transitional students ages 18-21, additional opportunities to learn the world of work while still being supported and guided by teachers and job coaches. The idea to serve coffee began when Mrs. Losito moved to the SHS from the JHS and started rolling around a coffee cart outfitted with carafes, cups, creamers, sweeteners and homemade treats every other Friday on paydays as she and her students went door-to-door to serve teachers in their rooms. Soon, the coffee cart expanded from one, to two, and eventually three, as it grew in popularity among the staff. Looking to provide even further opportunities for her students to learn how to operate POS systems, take and fulfill more complex orders, stock inventory and experience what it’s like to work in a “real life” cafe, Mrs. Losito partnered with ECEF to bring the Eagles Nest Cafe to life this past year as the Foundation bought chairs, tables, equipment, a credit card POS system and all of the supplies needed to transform the previously-empty lobby into an inviting and warm space for staff and students to relax, study and enjoy conversation over a cup of coffee. Seeing it brought to life today, she said “it made her heart happy” to see her students at work as they were high-fived by staff and their peers who congratulated them on their opening day. 

While the cafe will continue to only operate on a limited basis for staff for the near future, if there’s interest and the manpower to support it, Mrs. Losito would love to see the cafe expand its operations to support more frequent service, as well as potentially offering approved food and drink items to students.

ECEF Executive Director, Ang Cooke, attended the soft opening today with a lump in her throat and a whole lot of pride in her heart. “This one is extra special,” she said as she thought of the Foundation’s work to expand their Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program with local businesses, which provided the funds for the cafe. “Working alongside the district and Corbett, Inc. (who furnished the space) to create a new chapter for the Eagle's Nest Cafe and bring real-life work experience to the students in the Crossroads program has been so amazing and a testament to the opportunities the EITC program can bring to Exeter,” she said. “This,” she said as she pointed to the entire lobby, “is only possible thanks to our generous EITC donors who continue to believe in providing opportunities to our Exeter students.”