Aug. 31—ROCHESTER — While stocking items at a Rochester convenience store, employee Andrew Schnell smiles big as guests enter the store. They're his friends, and he's planning to sell them a mango or strawberry banana smoothie.
The smoothies round out the store's menu of coffee, hot chocolate and iced coffee, as selected by clients at the Ability Building Community, which offers services including employment training to people with disabilities. Schnell also hopes to pick a new snack item to replace one that hasn't sold since the Cosmic Corner store opened in June. He's working on improving his service industry and customer service skills.
"I enjoy working at the Cosmic Corner. I've worked at Cosmic Corner since it began," Schnell wrote in a message shared by Kristen Lynne, a lead day and employment services program manager. "I enjoy talking to people."
While working six to eight hours a week, "he has a goal in place to become independent with using the cash register," explained Lynne. He knows the $200 he'll be managing during his morning shift on Thursday, Aug. 31. And the day checks out with a balanced cash register.
The message employee Eric Petersen shares with customers is "you matter." He greets people with his smile, a fun handshake and even a drumming lesson between sweeping, cleaning dishes and stocking the snack shelves at the store's location inside the ABC building, 1911 14th St. NW.
"I really enjoy it. It's very rewarding and I enjoy people's smiles that come in the door every day," Petersen said. "It's just a blessing."
The store, which started as a "simple cart" about two years ago, is open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Friday. Employees learn and grow in taking orders, managing transactions and customer interaction skills, Lynne said. It's the employees who set their goals, though, like Petersen increasing his work hours.
As a store, Lynne said they hope to have ABC artists sell their artwork at the store and have an external entrance for customers. Customers can enter the main door and be buzzed into the store for now. Lynne added the staff at ABC "sustain" and enjoy the store, including the breakfast, lunch and snack options. The store also receives community donations and previous grants from the People's Energy Co-Op and Rochester Area Foundation.
"My goal is for everyone to be happy," Lynne said. "It's hard to measure but I can tell by the smiles."