New Student-Run Cafe Opens at San Dieguito Academy

Members of San Dieguito Academy’s new Business Management class opened the Mosaic, a student-run cafe, Wednesday afternoon during lunch. The newly designed Mustang Center features a food section, where students can purchase food items (different from the regular school menu), and a mini-store where various merchandise and schoolwear can be bought.

Oly Norris, teacher for the business management class, wants to give the students a unique opportunity to learn more about the business world.

“Our business class is an ROP ownership and management class here at SDA. It’s where students can learn businesses principles, theory, ideas, and put the theories that they’re learning to test with their own business they’re running,” says Norris. “They get to call the shots. As a teacher, I am more of the facilitator of this. It’s not coming from me. Everything is coming 100 percent from the students.”

Norris thinks that the new cafe will simulate what running a business is really like.

“Students have created the business plan from scratch for this actual Mosaic Cafe. They came up with the name, they’re working on the budget, the mission statement, and the menu. Everybody filled out a resume and our managers actually learned how to interview people. Real similar to anything you would find opening your own retail shop or cafe.”

Because the new cafe will be representing the face of SDA, students from the class were able to choose a name that embodies the culture at SDA.

“When we look at the root of the word Mosaic, it goes back to Greek and Latin roots for being inspired, to loiter and lounge around. I think it’s real fitting with how our school has been creative from day one,” says Norris.

Eric Nieman, a senior involved in running the cafe, feels proud that his class had the ability to lay out the look of the Mosaic.

“Our class was able to design this whole place. This is our palette and anyone can do whatever they want and be creative,” says Nieman.

While many kids have the opportunity to leave school for off campus lunch, Nieman hopes the cafe will attract kids to stay at the Mosaic.

“I think it’s going to benefit SDA because so many people are deciding not to go off campus. It will bring a real community vibe to SDA.”

Cameron Waggoner, junior, enjoys the Mosaic for its art.

“There are just so many art pieces all around this place and that brings out what SDA stands for, creativity.”

Even though the Mosaic is new in the SDA community, Norris hopes that the student business will expand and grow outside of SDA.

“My hopes for the growth of the Mosaic are that we will eventually be open for the surrounding community of Encinitas, Leucadia, etc. and that we really move into our online e-commerce world where we can start supplying the world with the Mosaic identity.”

“There's a lot of things they could do with this, and this is so much already. I can’t wait to see what they do in the later years,” says Waggoner.