Dee's Corner Cafe no longer restricted to courtyard 

Posted Sept. 30, 2022

By Nardin Ishak

Opinions Editor

Dee's Corner Cafe re-opened on Sept. 12 back inside the North Building  after two years of taking orders in the North Building courtyard.

Dee's Cafe is located in room 118 across from the North Building Main Office. It is open everyday before school from 7-7:40 a.m., at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesdays, and during both lunches. Dee's accepts cash or card and its menu can be found on its Instagram page @Dees Corner Cafe.

“Help us make our lines faster by knowing what you want before arriving at our cashier,” states their Instagram page.

To celebrate the new school year, Dee's Corner Cafe had a huge sale on opening day on their Portland Gear shirts, as low as $10. They also had a scavenger hunt and hid Portland Gear in nine different spots at the school. Clues were left on their Instagram page stories. 

“Cafe kids are excited to be back inside,” said Dee's Corner Cafe advisor Cole Samuel.

Dees Cafe has seen an increase in traffic after returning inside. Some of their most popular items include Turkey Melts, the classic Breakfast Sandwich, smoothies, and as always

their immensely popular chocolate chip cookies which are only sold during both lunches until they sell out. They also offer quick grab and go items like bottled juice, water, lemonade, and chips.

“Our new smoothie recipe worked,” said Samuel. “They are pretty popular.”

Dee's has been active on their Instagram page, which is managed by cafe members, senior Andy Nguyen. They recently shared a missing person poster about their lost family member," Mr. Green, the spatula."  They have also been working on a series of posts for cafe family alumni update.

The Dee's Corner Cafe, previously The Scots' Cafe, was established in 2014 by  former Entrepreneurship teacher Jawanza Hadley. The name was changed in honor of Denise Llisak, the head of the business department, who passed away in 2017.

¨She was a great teacher and lady and we miss her a lot,¨ said Samuel.

In order to work at The Dee's Corner Cafe, students are required to take Intro to Business, a year long class, and Marketing or Accounting, each also is a year long class. Then students need to apply to work at the cafe. If accepted after an interview conducted by Samel, students can add Entrepreneurship, the year long cafe class, to their schedule.

“Choosing a favorite part of the cafe is impossible,” said senior Alina Bosyuk, cafe member and general manager. “I love the family vibe, the friendships I've made, and I love working in it,” she added.

Bosyuk has been in the cafe for three consecutive years, with her current senior year her first as a general manager. As part of her duties, she  leaves class early to make sure the cafe is ready to operate, and stays after class to clean and restock.  She creates shopping lists, makes sure the cafe is clean, and that the machinery is running smoothly. Most importantly, she and the other cafe workers provide quality food and drinks to satisfied customers. 

This year's cafe family is heavily dependent on seniors. Students should be on the lookout for announcements about a huge hiring event in the spring.

“Our cafe is overflowing with seniors," said Bosyuk. "That means next year we will be having lots of new hires. I personally highly recommend becoming a part of the cafe."

Dee's Corner Cafe provides a unique high school experience, providing hands on experience, life long social and communication skills, and an opportunity for growth.

“My biggest advice for new cafe family members is to embrace the opportunity you have been selected for,” said  2016-17cafe family member Sergey Trufanov. “It is a truly unique way to spend part of your high school years where you can not only have fun and enjoy yourself, but grow significantly through its unique experiences."

“What’s that saying we like to say around here?  'New year, new crew, same family,'” said Samuel.