Archive: Around Town

Aurora, New York—This week at Wells College, a brand-new student-run café and coffee shop called "The Grind" opened its doors. A small café integrated into the recently-renovated Zabriskie Hall, home of the Sullivan Center for Business and Entrepreneurship, The Grind presents a unique employment opportunity and internship for students interested in the business program.

"Employers these days are looking for future employees to have as many skills and as much experience as possible," says Kevin Miles, Director of the Sullivan Center for Business and Entrepreneurship, "[Wells] provides students with opportunities to manifest business skills applicable to potential work environments."

The new, fully student-run business operation on campus is one of many manifestations of The College's internship prospects for students seeking experiential learning opportunities in management and business operation. Management internships include that of a president and vice president with differing and unique responsibilities, a human resource manager, finance manager, and operations manager. "As a team of mangers we all work really close together on just about everything. Each member has their own specialty that they bring into the company," says student CEO of The Grind, Chris Flood '16.

In addition to the managerial team, The Grind also employs eleven student workers as baristas and cashiers. "Training for these students is an expanded version of typical employee discipline," explains Miles, "and includes instruction, involving customer service skills and granting employees more personal responsibility to accommodate customers." The Grind relies upon the responsibility of the students to create a successful business plan and foster a prosperous company, leading to the development of a wide-ranging skillset not typical of most college employment opportunities.

The Grind's current management team is developing a number of ideas to increase visibility and stir interest on campus, including organic, vegan, and vegetarian options and engagement with local vendors such as Finger Lakes Coffee. The café itself will provide a relaxing atmosphere for student events and campus activities and a place to display student art work.

Over a period of time, Wells hopes to introduce more business internships that will aid students in gaining knowledge through experiential learning and hands-on processes in order to prepare students for positions in management. Miles believes that Wells has potential to foster further opportunities that engage students in cultivating managerial skills as they search for future employment.

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