The Grounds, the new coffee shop located in Lowrie Hall, had its grand opening on Wednesday, November 18th! The Grounds was pitched to parents and faculty by high school juniors Emily Chung and James Schaefer as part of their creation for DC’s Innovative Design Challenge. Originally, The Grounds was two separate pitches - the Chung family proposing a coffee shop, and the Schaefer family proposing a student lounge. In the end, the two families combined their ideas and worked together these past few months to implement the Grounds. Due to COVID-19, the process was slowed down quite a bit, and students must be cautious about lingering too long in the shop. When the pandemic calms down, however, there will be couches and coffee tables in the room for students to relax and enjoy the company of friends. 

The Innovation Design team partnered with Valerio Coffee Roasters Inc. to bring DC the freshest, most delicious coffee (and tea!) around. Every morning, fresh coffee beans are ground and roasted by the shop’s employees, and every DC time, students line up to buy a cup of coffee. The Grounds is 100% student run, with featured student artwork decorating the walls. Students can come and enjoy a cup of coffee during DC time every day, which the team hopes will serve to strengthen the student community. 

Using the profits from sales, the team plans on expanding the shop even further and using the money to benefit the community. Students and faculty, make sure to stop by The Grounds and get yourself the best coffee around!