Expertly mixing and pouring at the counter of the Beast Brew, senior Ty Yoon works to craft the iced matcha latte ordered by a customer. Once he’s finished, Yoon tops the beverage off with a lid, grabs a straw, and hands the latte off to the awaiting student with a smile before returning to small talk with his coworker.

Yoon was hired last year during the first semester to work at the Beast Brew, Bellevue East’s student run coffee and snack shop. There, student baristas learn to make complex drinks and serve them to other students who might need a refresher to help them get through the day.

“Sometimes it [working at the Beast Brew] feels slow and boring,” Yoon said. “But at times it can be really fun and you get to make friends with your fellow Beast Brew workers.”

The Beast Brew serves as a fundraiser which helps raise money for East’s FBLA. The two establishments have been linked since Beast Brew’s initial opening in 2017.

“FBLA stands for Future Business Leaders of America and is a club that aims to help students practice business skills,” Beast Brew sponsor, Mitchell Fischer said. “These skills benefit students by helping to prepare them for their future careers. The Beast Brew is our fundraiser for FBLA and helps to reduce the cost for students to attend our State and National Leadership conferences in the Spring and over the Summer.”

According to their website, FBLA is the most immense Technical Student and Career Organization in the world. Annually, they contribute to the preparation of over 230,000 members for possible futures in business careers, and inspire students to lead within their community.

“FBLA is important to students because it helps them to grow their professional and leadership skills,” Fischer said. “FBLA is also a nationally recognized organization, so students can add this to a college application or a resume for their future careers.”

Working at the Beast Brew allows students to gain experience in an environment that is similar to that of a real job. According to Beast Brew employee Amia Stanfield, this is especially helpful for younger student baristas who may not yet be familiar with employment norms. Student baristas learn to work with money, cash registers, and customer service.

“Credit wise, it [working at the Beast Brew] gives you college credit and also gives you experience,” Stanfield said. “So when you apply for jobs you can say ‘I have experience with customer service’, like talking to people, working with registers, et cetera.”