Carrillo Grind café makes a reappearance on campus serving staff and students

Seniors Nina Soto, Denise Garcia, Rabin Suzuki, and Jordan Fernandez making Carrillo Boost drinks and other beverages for Carrillo Grind. ( Maxine Salvador, The Puma Prensa)

By Maxine Salvador, business manager

With Carrillo students waking up early in the morning to head to school for tests, projects, and presentations, there’s nothing better than fresh brewed coffee, cold energy drinks, and delicious teas to make it easier to get through a rough day ahead. Worried about running late or getting stuck in early morning traffic because you waited in line at Starbucks or Dutch Bros? Well don’t fret. You can skip those lines as delightful beverages can now be acquired at the student run café.

This brilliant idea of a coffee shop on campus called Carrillo Grind (or “the Grind”) was sparked roughly three years ago by two former MCHS special-ed teachers; however, COVID-19 hit pause on the business for quite some time. Now, the Grind is directed by Trisha Terrell, Pathway Academy for Work and Service (PAWS) English and English 4 teacher, and Chef Colleen Spiers, culinary arts teacher and Career Technical Education (CTE) Department Chair. The coffee shop employees are generally supervised by Terrell, while the production of drinks takes place in Chef's classroom.

The Grind is open every Tuesday and Friday before school and during break for staff and students to grab a drink in support of the PAWS senior English class. The PAWS English class incorporates a mix of subjects from auto shop, culinary, and traditional English class curricula, while also being a class geared towards career preparation for students. The goal of the class is “honoring and educating students, parents, staff, and our community that a four year university isn't the only path— that you can learn really valuable skills by volunteering or doing internships,” says Terrell. Volunteering to work for Carrillo Grind opens up avenues for students to gain exposure to entrepreneurship as well as have experience running a business while still being in high school.  

“[PAWS] started out as being a work experience for kids who maybe wouldn’t have normal opportunities,” stated Terrell. Therefore “as the school year started, we talked about what are some of the things on campus that we might want to do, events we might want to have… and the Grind came up.” 

Due to COVID-19 hindering the business’ growth in 2020, re-starting it became somewhat of a struggle. “It took a little bit for word of mouth,” says Terrell. However, the Grind crew worked non-stop to promote the Grind name and create a successful and thriving business.

Now that sales are gradually increasing, the Grind can invest in prizes as well as host events to continue supporting the organization. For example, gift cards are now being sold as a way to encourage engagement with students. And, in the future, the business is even looking into raffles for winning gift cards and potentially partnering with clubs for fundraisers and events. 

Working for the Grind is a perfect way for students to take on leadership roles, which is one of the many goals the PAWS English class wishes to accomplish with its students. “The kids are learning a ton,” Terrell says. “Certain students have risen up as natural leaders and are taking on basically managing [the café].” Terrell has loved watching her students grow throughout the course of the year, taking ownership and showing great care for the business. 

Not only do students gain exposure to running a business and learn valuable soft skills such as teamwork, communication, and business management, but students just also enjoy working for the Grind as a whole. Nina Soto, senior, dedicates her time working in the café. “My favorite part about working at the Grind is doing it with all of my friends, and we’re with each other everyday, and [we] build friendships over it,” says Soto. “We also get more career experience in school.” 

Denise Garcia, senior, also volunteers to work at Carrillo Grind. “We have grown a connection, we’ve become really close, and we make it fun while we’re working,” says Garcia. It is no doubt that the staff behind the Grind devote their precious time and love into a thriving business for the school community. “The drinks are good, the customer service is on point… and we interact with our customers,” Garcia adds, appreciating the journey and growth of the business. 

Carrillo Grind’s restart since the COVID-19 pandemic has been a sensational journey for staff and students alike. Terrell proudly supports the Grind team and the PAWS English class’s goal to be there for students throughout the rest of their academic journey, as well as launching them into their future careers. This style of curriculum grants “students more tools to be successful in whatever they choose to do after high school,” Terrell says. 

As a whole, Terrell emphasizes how Carrillo Grind is “student run, student organized, it's a fun atmosphere, and we’re making good drinks, so support a student run organization on campus.”