Youth Take Over Depot Coffee House Operations

Coffee operations at The Depot Coffee House are now a youth-run affair.

The operations were previously under private management. But starting in February, all operations at the teen-centered location are being managed by Youth Project staff and led by the Depot Youth Board of Directors—a group of up to 15 students in ninth through 12th grade and up to five adult board members.

"This will bring the business management piece of our operations even closer to our student Board Members,” a news release quoted Ted Duepner, the Depot’s youth project director. “They have been eager to jump in making decisions about product selection, pricing, and hours of operation. We will also be hiring more students in order to provide them with business and customer service experience along with specialized barista training."

Under this plan, coffee operations will be part of the Hopkins fiscal management but will not be subsidized by city funds. Net proceeds will go back to The Depot’s youth programming.

The change will not change the products Depot customers have become used to—including fair trade, organic coffee and locally sourced products.