The Leaning Eagle

Why a Student-Run Coffee Bar?

The Leaning Eagle Coffee Bar lets students gain an understanding of what is required in entrepreneurship and managing a small business while in a class that is far from boring.

Recently, the coffee bar has prioritized minimizing its carbon footprint by practicing sustainable techniques. These include only serving in compostable cups, educating customers about direct trade coffee and its benefits to coffee farmers, and purchasing local milk in glass bottles returned directly to the dairy.

Part classroom, part business training, and part educational enrichment, The Leaning Eagle is all parts fun.

“Working at The Leaning Eagle has been a life-changing experience as I have gained an understanding of how a business operates. This is a class that everyone should take because it might just change what you choose to pursue as a career.”Bella Randle '22

Student Business
Ordering App

Student Business

Students enrolled in the Small Business Management class oversee all aspects of running The Leaning Eagle coffee bar. Students attend class by working in the coffee bar, making drinks, taking orders, and handling customer service. Additionally, they monitor sales and chart metrics to track inventory and determine profitability, design marketing campaigns and release new and seasonal drinks, record and edit original commercials, and continuously update the overall strategic plan.

They are directly engaged in hands-on operations and are responsible for the coffee bar’s overall success. In just 6 years, the coffee bar has grown from annual sales of just $1,000 to over $30,000 while maintaining a 30% profit margin. Leaning Eagle profits are applied toward Intersession Scholarships providing need-based assistance on Intersession experiences, and provide additional capital for other student-operated business opportunities at the school.

The Mini Cup

Our Students Run a Coffee Bar!

Jaden, Felicity, and Kaveri - Gr 8

Mini-Cup is CHCA’s Gr 7-8 entrepreneurship club where students work and lead in a business environment.

In 2021, the mini cup moved from its temporary location near the school office to a permanent location as part of the Mimi Ehlen Memorial Library (shown below). Nestled in one of the school’s beautiful innovation spaces, the Mini Cup offers an array of drink and food options to students and has been a stellar success. Guided by teachers, students must innovate ideas to bring in more revenue and customers. Mini-Cup student managers continually find ways to empower their peers and further enhance the overall experience for both customers and employees.

The Leaning Eagle In the News

The Leaning Eagle Coffee Bar at CHCA has a rich history indeed—starting as a mobile espresso cart run by student volunteers, the coffee bar is now in a permanent location in the school’s Miracle Commons. In addition to serving a wide variety of delicious drinks, the coffee bar serves as an innovative classroom for the entrepreneurship students.

WCPO.com - "Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy students forgo Starbucks for student-run coffee bar goodness" (09/10/16)

WLWT.com - "Students run coffee bar at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy" (11/23/15)

Venue Magazine "Now Brewing: A Fresh Business Opportunity for Students" (10/10/15)

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