The Pit Stop Shop is a new addition to the Warrior Nation. For the students, by the students. Located near the Eastro, by the main office in the Walker Career Center, the idea came from Teacher Stephanie Dixon.The Pit Stop Shop is a product of a business management class she teaches. When Dixon first started teaching business management, her idea was to get her class to sell T-shirts, but it failed for many reasons. This year, she wanted to try again with her senior class. As a class, they decided what to start and how.
The making of The Pit Stop Shop was assembled by the students of this capstone business class.
“I try to play on their strengths to determine who does what,” Dixon said. “Every student plays a part in the making and running of this business.
All the items sold by the Pit Stop Shop have been designed and thought of by the students.
“Jayla Banks came up with the name, she created the logo, she came up with the slogan, and she came up with the digital marketing stuff,” Dixon said. “She is the creative genius behind the name of the Pit Stop.”
The Pit Stop Shop is still new and getting into the swing of things, and it sells many items. It is open to all but focuses on the students.
“For the students, by the students, everybody can come buy something,” Thomas Harris said. “Teacher, student, or (construction workers.)”
The Pit Stop Shop is similar to the bookstore in ways of selling snacks and merchandise. The Pit Stop Shop sells candy, cups, drinks, hats, and bracelets. They have customizable cups that shoppers can stop by and place an order for, and they will deliver them to classes during school hours.
The Pit Stop Shop is open during seventh and eighth periods. With the shop being new, they are still figuring out scheduling. “It’s confusing because I don’t think they really have it set, like, we are usually here all gold days, but like I don’t know if we are going to be doing it three days or just two days a week,”Amira Rice said.
The Pit Stop Shop is in no way an attempt to replace the bookstore; it's completely different in principle from the bookstore.
“We don’t want to put the bookstore out of business; there are enough students and enough people to buy things for both to be successful,” Dixon said. “Because we are for the students, by the students, mostly for the students. Mugs and stuff like the teachers can buy, but our target audience is the students. Whereas the bookstore is for pretty much all of Warren Central.”
The goal is to have something to pass down to the underclassmen and start something to be passed down for many years to come.
Although this is a part of a capstone project, the Pit Stop Shop is aimed at making an impact on the students involved in making and running it. This teaches students the fundamentals of building and running a business.
“This, to me, as their teacher, is exciting to watch them take my ideas and actually make it happen, and it’s really rewarding,” Dixon said.