Scottie Joe’s Serves Up Sweet Treats at HPHS

Highland Park High School students and staff can fall in love with two new drinks on the menu in February at the school’s third-floor coffee bar.

Cupid’s Cup, iced coffee topped with whipped cream, red hots and cinnamon syrup, and LOVE Lemonade, lemonade with a swirl of strawberry syrup, are both available at Scottie Joe’s.

Junior and senior students from the Moody Advanced Professional Studies (MAPS) program manage Scottie Joe’s business operations and marketing, and young adults from the school’s 18+ transition program staff the coffee shop. The shop was made possible through a partnership with Credit Union of Texas.

Geoffrey Orsak, executive director of HPISD’s Moody Innovation Institute, said Scottie Joe’s has made a “huge difference” for students in the district’s 18+ program. “They have a place where they feel, and rightly so, ownership of their own lives. They come out of their shells and we’ve seen miracles happen, just because they can come here and serve coffee.” 

Caroline Beverly, a graduate of the high school’s 18+ program, is more than halfway through her first full school year as café manager. She busily served up a variety of drinks one Tuesday morning, and directed a customer in how to use Apple Pay to make a purchase.

Beverly said the experience of working at Scottie Joe’s has been “awesome,” and she enjoys “getting to see all the different students.”

But don’t count on her for an order of Cupid’s Cup. “I’m actually not into coffee,” she said. “But I love their tea.”