Saratoga News

Photograph by Robert Scheer

Saratoga High School graduate Lindsey Blass whips up a fruit smoothie at the Coffee Grounds, where she has worked since September.

Student-run coffee shop is anything but a grind

By Chantal Lamers

The Coffee Grounds, like almost any coffee shop, serves bagels, smoothies and double espressos. But unlike any other coffee shop, it is run as a nonprofit business where everything is served by students who maintain minimum grade-point averages of 3.0.

Harold Bain has owned the 30-year-old-shop, located on 14567 Big Basin Way and formerly known as DiNucci's, for two years, and he only hires college-bound local students. Bain says that the Internal Revenue Service does not consider his business nonprofit, and he actually loses a little money.

Bain, a native Saratogan, retired four years ago after working as a professor at Keller University in Phoenix and Arizona State University, and returned to take care of his sick father.

In Arizona, he worked at Project Challenge, where he taught and counseled teenagers from dysfunctional families. His experiences there sowed the seeds for his opening the Coffee Grounds.

"Everything is dedicated to the education of the young community," Bain said about his business. "I give them a tremendous amount of respect and allow them to get involved in the business. They only keep me around to sign the paychecks," he said.

The job requirements, however, are not based on availability and work experience. Bain gives his employees only one shift per week so they are still able to balance their homework and family. If they fall below the minimum 3.0 GPA requirement, employees go on a leave of absence or a suspension until they are able to raise their grades.

Jean Wong, a recent graduate of Saratoga High School, has worked in the shop for almost two years. "I was dating someone who was addicted to gelato," she said, "so we went in there every week." Now the 17-year-old says she loves the environment she works in just as much as she loves the food.

"It's the perfect first job," she said. "He's [Bain] always there for us. He lent most of us money for our prom dresses. But it's not just that; he does a billion other things."

Upon the counter sits a tip jar that reads, "Send us to college." Following Christmas and graduation, employees are presented with tip-generated savings bonds.

Seventeen-year-old Saratoga High School senior Erin King lives just down the block from the Coffee Grounds, where she's worked for eight months. "It's the right amount of time to work," King said of her flexible schedule.

She said that her employer makes her and the rest of the staff feel as if they are a part of the business. "I think a lot of the things on the menu are from suggestions we've made," she said.

Bain said that when he opened his business, he placed a "now hiring" sign in the window. It stayed up for just two days and has never returned. He said this is because the shop has a good reputation with the students and the community.

"Every one of my employees has a second job in this area," Bain said. "I have 12 applications right now," he said. But with 14 employees already, Bain said he won't be able to hire them all.

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