What's Happening in Anchorage, AK…

Busy Beans by the Lagoon has recently opened on a retail site once occupied by Covey Café.

The old establishment closed back in 2010, but poster printing in Anchorage could be used to promote the new venture. The proprietor, Jill Johnston, has shown a willingness to engage with the local community, having told Alaska Dispatch News:

“We’ve met so many families and heard so many stories and, just, they know us and we know them and you know it’s been really -- it’s been so neat to be able to get to know so much more of the city.”

Johnston has said that she feels a mutual liking has developed. She has revealed that she has the aim of renting kayaks to local people, but this project will involve her husband and kayak hire is not her priority at the moment.

The business has used an innovative method of recruitment, having made use of the Nine Star Education and Employment Services program, which provides internships to young people. The individuals in question have experience of poverty.

Johnston has been positive about the quality of the interns she has taken. She has specifically mentioned their reliability and eagerness to learn.

Busy Beans by the Lagoon does not have a permit to allow usage for the whole year, so the outlet will have to stop serving consumers before the fall. The people who work there can receive hours at another location when the time comes.