The purpose of Benny’s Spirit Shop, the newly-opened school store, is to afford students a spot to purchase snacks, pick up Beachwood Bison apparel and mingle with friends.

However, Benny’s, named for the school mascot, does not operate without academics in mind.

“[It’s] a laboratory for the business and marketing classes. Just like the culinary program has the [Beachwood] Bistro, the marketing program has Benny’s Spirit Shop,” said marketing teacher Greg Perry, who oversees the store as a part of his classes.

“It’s a laboratory for running a business, entrepreneurship, doing the daily operations of a business and teaching my curriculum through a hands-on approach,” he said.

Perry’s students have a myriad of responsibilities, including determining pricing, ordering and maintaining inventory and keeping store displays orderly. “These are things that will be crucial to them as they go into any career,” Perry said.

“No matter what career they go into, this is vital learning and information for them,” he said.

Benny’s first opened two hours prior to the BHS rededication ceremony on Sept. 27. All proceeds go toward Perry’s school marketing program.

“Hopefully, by the end of the year, there may be some profit,” Perry said. “For the first year, it’s costing a lot to build it all out,” he said, listing expenses such as furnishing the store and installing cabinets and countertops.

Perry and seniors Jataun White and Hannah Richardson, the store’s managers, are planning a grand-opening ceremony for November. At the ceremony, Perry said customers will be able to take advantage of special sales and enjoy a replenished stock of Bison apparel.

“It will be a way for people to get introduced to Benny’s,” he said.

He said he hopes to add an additional Point of Sale cash register station in the coming months as well.

Perry views the store as not only an asset for his classes, but for the community as a whole, adding that the rededication weekend was a “smashing success” for the store.

“We sold out virtually all of our apparel and had a tremendous response from the community, alumni and current students and parents,” Perry said of the weekend.

Benny’s currently sells snacks, beverages, and school apparel, though Perry said he is looking to add school supplies and Bison-branded promotional items, such as pens, lanyards and mugs, to the store’s shelves.

Junior Nate Hamilton said he approves of the store. “The school store is great because… you can get your snacks, [and] if you want apparel, you can get apparel. It’s a great [addition] to the school,” he said.

Over twenty marketing students work at the store, receiving class credit rather than a paycheck. Perry added that students from his Introduction to Business class have been helping as well.

The store’s hours, which Perry said are still being adjusted to meet customer demand, are currently on school days from 7:15 a.m. to 7:50 a.m., 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and after school hours as available.

Perry said members of the community who are unable to make it to the store during operating hours can contact him to arrange a time to shop.

(Photo by Emilykate Hopson-Boyd)