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Eagles Nest Cafe gives Exeter students hands-on food-service, POS and hydroponics experience
Summary
A teacher presented the district-run Eagles Nest Cafe program that trains 18–21-year-old Crossroads students in point-of-sale operation, food preparation and hydroponic production; the project was funded by the Exeter Community Education Foundation using EITC funds, not district money.
Missy Lucido, a teacher in Exeter Township School District’s Crossroads program for 18-to-21-year-old students, described a classroom-based vocational training program called the Eagles Nest Cafe during the April 23 board meeting.
The cafe gives students hands-on experience in food-service tasks, including operating a point-of-sale system that accepts cash and credit cards, assembling made-to-order salads and preparing breakfast items. "I can't express enough how much the students...it's just wonderful to see in firsthand how they've adapted to this system," Lucido said, describing students working at the register and assembling orders from a printed ticket system.
The program began with mobile carts that rotated through district buildings and paused during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lucido moved the operation into a classroom in November 2022, upgraded equipment to meet ServSafe requirements by June 2023, and in November 2024 moved the cafe into the former Eagles Lobby. On April 11 the program added a made-to-order salad option; Lucido said the first salad day produced 32 salads and yielded about 15 one-gallon bags of leftover lettuce.
Superintendent Dr. Christy Haller told the board the project was funded through the Exeter Community Education Foundation (ECEF) using Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) money and not with district funds. "The entire project was done with that funding and was not done with school district money," Haller said, thanking ECEF and its board for support.
Lucido said the program integrates a small hydroponic unit grown by elementary students, and that salad ingredients come from K–12 production when available. She noted partnerships with local businesses and vendors: Fresh Frenchie's staff advised on the point-of-sale system, Corbit Flex assisted with design and furniture selection, and John Breton helped with selections. The cafe currently uses two POS terminals — one front-of-house and one intended for future kitchen use — and staff can order ahead through the program’s online ordering system.
Lucido outlined possible next steps, including converting an adjacent room into a short-order kitchen and expanding courtyard hydroponics; she said additional ideas discussed informally include concessions for athletic events and other small expansions. She credited students and volunteer partners for the program’s progress.
Board members and administrators praised the initiative for providing realistic job training and communication practice for students with disabilities. Lucido invited board members and staff to visit the cafe on scheduled service days.
Clarifying details captured in the meeting: the salad pilot on April 11 produced 32 salads; leftover lettuce totaled about 15 one-gallon bags; the cafe uses two POS units; ServSafe-compliant stainless tables were added in mid-2023; funding came from ECEF via EITC (not district operating funds).
