Filled with beachy decor and the smell of freshly roasted coffee beans, Makenna Koffee offers handmade drinks and employment to students at Newbury Park High School [NPHS]. From its beginnings as a coffee truck primarily in Simi Valley, California, Makenna Koffee has now expanded to 7 locations along with another arriving soon in Newbury Park at the shopping plaza on Teller Road. Makenna Koffee, which is primarily run by high school students, gives employees the opportunity to learn from real world customer service experiences.
Lance Clauson, owner and founder of Makenna Koffee, first opened Makenna Koffee in Simi Valley in 2019 and has continued to develop it since then. “It really came from my love of coffee and wanting to create a place that felt good to be in, not just for customers but for my own family and friends too,” Clauson said. “It felt like we had built something special, and expansion became about sharing that feeling with more people and more communities rather than just being in one city.”
Mixing up lattes and espressos, Elliana Dorsi, senior, is a barista at the Westlake location working an average of eight to twelve hours a week. Primarily surrounded with other high school and college students, Dorsi appreciates the welcoming environment. “Schedules are really flexible, which is very nice. We always have people working, but our schedules are able to be accommodated for,” Dorsi said. In addition to the positive work environment, Dorsi notes that the people make the place. “It’s all young kids, college and high school kids, so it’s definitely fun. We have a lot of friends from the other high schools that work there,” Dorsi said.
While Makenna Koffee is expanding to Newbury Park, Destiny Nash, senior, may stay at the Westlake location due to her leadership position there in addition to working at the Newbury location. “I feel like they’re going to try to get the people who have been working at Westlake for a long time to be shift leads at Newbury,” Nash said. A shift leader overall manages the shift from training to supervising other workers. Similar to the Westlake location, Nash predicts the Newbury location will likewise create a favorable off-campus lunch spot for NPHS students along with an optimal environment for employees as well as. “You’ll definitely make friends, and you’ll probably know someone that’s working there already,” Nash said.
Clauson is looking forward to sharing Makenna Koffee with the Newbury Park community. “Over the years, a lot has changed behind the scenes. We’ve been able to build better systems, stronger teams, and learned how to grow into something bigger than I imagined. But the culture hasn’t changed. It’s still about being fun and welcoming,” Clauson said.