Student-Run Coffee Shop at Harris-Hillman School Builds Job Skills for Nashville Students With Disabilities

A campus café designed as workplace training

A small coffee bar operating inside Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools’ Harris-Hillman School is giving students structured, daily practice in customer service and job routines. The café, called The Daily Buzz, functions as a student-run operation near the school’s main entrance and serves drinks during the morning arrival window.

The shop is part of Harris-Hillman’s instructional focus on supporting students with disabilities as they build skills for greater independence. The school serves students with multiple and complex disabilities, from early childhood through age 22.

How The Daily Buzz operates

The Daily Buzz is open on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Students handle core front-of-house tasks such as taking orders, preparing drinks and labeling items for customers. After the morning rush, students also complete cleanup and restocking duties as part of the work routine.

Customers are primarily limited to adults on campus and visitors, including staff and parents. Students work under supervision, including support from job coaches, while carrying out most tasks at the counter.

• Location: Inside Harris-Hillman School, positioned near the building entrance.

• Hours: Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.–9 a.m.

• Menu focus: Hot and cold drinks prepared on-site, including coffee and hot chocolate.

Connection to broader transition-to-work programming

For participating students, the coffee shop is one component of a wider set of employment-readiness supports. Harris-Hillman students who have completed high school with an Alternate Academic Diploma may take part in community-based transition services that place students at off-campus job sites across Nashville as they practice workplace expectations in real settings.

School leaders have described the café as a way to teach practical, transferable skills in a predictable environment—skills such as teamwork, time management and inventory awareness—while maintaining the supervision and accommodations some students require.

Partnership and launch timeline

The Daily Buzz began operating in 2025 and expanded the school’s on-campus training options soon after launch. The café’s opening was supported by community involvement from Nashville-based coffee company Bongo Java, which provided donated equipment and supplies to help establish the workspace.

The coffee bar is intended to mirror a standard retail experience while allowing students to practice job tasks with coaching and consistent routines.

As Nashville employers continue to emphasize entry-level experience and interpersonal skills, Harris-Hillman’s model uses a familiar setting—a morning coffee counter—to turn daily practice into workforce preparation for students who often face barriers to traditional hiring.