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of Rochester 418 East 9th Street, Rochester, IN 46975
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202 Apache Drive, Rochester, IN • Behind Burger King • 574-223-9984
574-505-0813 9581 E. 100 N., Akron, IN 46910 E-mail: tom@tombauterscpa.com
Wednesday, May 5, 2021
Vol. 64, Issue No. 18
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)LQG WKH 3HUIHFW 0RWKHU·V 'D\ *LIW 424 E. 9TH ST., ROCHESTER, IN Open Every Day Monday-Sunday 9:00 am-5:30 pm
12231 N. 100 W., MACY, IN
HANGING BASKETS PLANTERS ANNUALS PERENNIALS SEEDS ONION SETS SEED POTATOES
‘The Mugge’ —
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,1 7+( :,1'2: ³ Tippecanoe Valley seniors Hannah Parson, Jada Hicks and Peyton Oldham are three of the students who help run The Mugge, a full-service beverage bar inside the school. Photo by Keith Knepp.
Serving up drinks to thirsty Vikings %\ .(,7+ .1(33 $VVRFLDWH (GLWRU If you’re around teenagers at all these days, you’re probably aware of their obsession with coffee-inspired drinks. Whether from Starbucks or Dunkin’, the hands of many kids seem to be firmly attached to a plastic cup filled with $5 of beverage. Several years ago, Tippecanoe Valley High School business teacher Aaron Engbrecht’s entrepreneurial class saw the need and the opportunity to provide those drinks to their fellow Vikings. In communities mostly bereft of the corporate giants, the idea was well received and greatly appreciated not only by students, but by the school’s staff, as well. What started as an idea and a limited delivery system has turned into a full-fledged drink outlet nestled into a corner of the school’s library. The Mugge Café is open throughout the school day, with the exception of lunch hours so it doesn’t compete with the caf-
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eteria. The name comes from the Viking word for “mug,” and it is staffed by some of Engbrecht’s current students who volunteer their time in exchange for a real-world experience in business, marketing, customer service and class credit. In its current format, The Mugge opened in January 2018. The initial concept, however dates back nearly a decade when students in the business department wanted to open an apparel shop from which students could order various Valley sports apparel and equipment. According to Engbrecht, the question was then asked, “if apparel, why not a café?” “The business started and stopped, started and stopped,” he added, “until we had a change in the administration at the school that liked the idea and provided financial assistance to actually build it. We were given $10,000 to get it started, which we were able to pay back from our profits.” “We took the entrepreneurial class to be part of The Mugge,”
agreed seniors Hannah Parson and Jada Hicks. They added many younger students take the class because they want to become involved with it, as well. Their classmate, Peyton Oldham, said she learned about it from her older sister who was part of Engbrecht’s class. In its early days, student workers would take orders from their peers, which were then handdelivered during the Viking Success period, akin to homeroom. That is still done today, although much of The Mugge’s business is conducted in-person throughout each school day. “It takes a decent amount of trust to work here,” noted Engbrecht. “Many of those who have taken the class have proven to be trustworthy. We have around 10 students who regularly work inside and another 10 who work as ‘Mugge Runners’ and deliver drinks to the classrooms.” Drink choices range from lemonade and smoothies to coffeebased offerings, milkshakes and
protein drinks. All the necessary supplies are ordered through the school’s cafeteria and are billed to The Mugge’s account. At the start of the school year, they are slinging anywhere between 40-80 drinks each day. As the year goes on, that number goes down to around 20-40 a day. Once all the overhead bills are paid, the profit goes to the business department, which has replaced the fundraising efforts it used to have to do for various activities including the annual work-based learning banquet, gift baskets for staff members and scholarships. “Muggies,” as those who work for the business are called, also are offered incentives for their sales, including free drinks and apparel, which is still offered alongside the drinks. “It’s an accurate representation of what a business might do for their employees,” said Engbrecht. “We also provide them with pizza and ice cream parties.” Continued on page 2
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