NHS Coffee Shop Reopens

As COVID begins to calm down, life at Nutley High School gains some of its previous normality. Doors that were shut by the pandemic, including those of the NHS Staff Coffee Shop, reopen as the high school staff and students ease back into life as it was before. However, this grand reopening is just the beginning of a world full of improvements and opportunities. “Our class is excited to serve the staff of NHS,” says Megan Della Fave, a special education teacher who announced the official reopening on February 10th. 

The coffee shop had been open for only a few months before schools closed in March of 2020. What most thought would be a “two-week break” became a year and a half of learning through the computer screen. This meant that schools would close and, as New Jersey went on lockdown. Though often being something people took for granted, food and drink industries crumbled. Coffee, unless made at home, became a rare delicacy. Orders became contactless, followed by countless Clorox wipes that were used to disinfect the area.  

Between the health risks, rising COVID cases, and schools shutting down, keeping NHS Coffee Shop open was unreasonable. There seemed to be an infinite amount of mandates and there was no school to sell anything at. Classes and meetings were no longer in Nutley High School, but had taken place in the homes of the NHS staff and students. Although the coffee shop was finally picking up momentum, sales came to an abrupt halt as COVID-19 was introduced to the world.

Despite coming with unexpected force, COVID and the mandates that came with it began to settle down. In September of 2021, Nutley Schools were back and Google Meet, although not entirely becoming a thing of the past, was no longer a crutch. Instead of learning in living rooms, lessons were taught in classrooms. Of course things did not immediately go back to normal. There were still several rules in place. For example, students were not allowed to share supplies and it was important to clean the desks after every period. 

As time went on and COVID numbers went down, the topic of Nutley High School’s coffee shop being reopened was brought up with the NHS administrators. After establishing that the opening would be risk-free, they were able to set a date and get to work. “We needed to make sure it was safe for both students and staff,” says Mrs. Della Fave.

The coffee shop is open for staff on Tuesday and Thursday mornings as well as weekday afternoons. Some of the work-based learning students delivered menus to the staff members’ mailboxes. However, these menus will change seasonally. 

Before the closing in March, orders for the NHS coffee shop were completely virtual. A staff member would place their order online and it would be delivered to them in the afternoon. Now, orders are placed face-to-face and filled while the staff waits. 

Despite being off to a good start, the NHS Coffee Shop is still a work in progress. As time goes on, new ideas and opportunities are presented. The pandemic put our lives on pause, the coffee shop being an example of this. However, as Nutley regains some normality, we can resume the development and improvement of our lives. “We hope to continue to grow and expand products and services for the entire NHS community,” says Mrs. Della Fave.