Pump It Up, West High’s coffee shop, opened for the school year on Nov. 27, but it’s been around for over a decade. It’s managed and run by West’s Business Professionals of America chapter. PIU is open from 8:15 to the end of the school day, except for fourth period and AFT/advisory.
Besides the obvious benefit of grabbing a quick snack before class, PIU allows students to connect with people they otherwise wouldn’t have known.
“[Working the stand] is really fun because you get to meet people from all around the school. There’s a lot of people who I wouldn’t ever have talked to if it wasn’t for working,” PIU manager Jack Twait ’25 said.
There’s also a lot that the customer doesn’t see.
Twait is responsible for many things behind the scenes, like training new employees, ordering stock and supplies, talking to the administration and ensuring the business goes smoothly throughout the year.
A lot of thought goes into deciding what products to sell. The club checks prices online to determine whether it’s a good investment or not. They have to balance cheaper, enticing prices and making a profit.
“We want to keep the prices fair to the customers and not too expensive, but at the same time, we want to make sure that we’re…making money because all the proceeds go back to BPA to help us pay for our trips,” Twait said.
Working at PIU teaches a lot to its employees. “You learn a lot of firsthand skills…not just working up front and getting experience as an employee, but…behind the scenes. You’re gonna have more experience like figuring out how products are doing and then talking with customers. You see…when stuff is going wrong…and then it’s going to be your job to help pivot.”
Charlotte Delowery ’24, who has worked at PIU for over two years, also recognizes the benefits of working at the stand.
“It builds great community [and] teaches you how to run a business with close friends…it’s [a] really good community for everyone to be able to learn together,” Delowery said.
Pump It Up is a great way to apply skills learned in BPA and other business classes, get experience running a business and meet new people. For those interested in learning more about or joining PIU or BPA, talk to BPA sponsors Diane Fickel and Emily Hudachek.
