Before the school day even begins, the Roost already has a line of students waiting to buy Chick-fil-A meals. Behind the counter, DECA students quickly take orders, prepare meals and collect money while learning how to run a real business.
DECA earned Gold Recertification on February 27th for its two student-run school stores, The Perch and The Roost, allowing them to continue running both stores and raising money for the program.
The Roost is the food-based store, selling items such as Chick-Fil-A sliders, cookies and Ozark lollipops, for students on Tuesday and Fridays, while The Perch is a customizable retail shop that sells school spirit wear including T-shirts, hoodies and other merchandise.
“We started them for opportunities for students to have learning opportunities, hands-on running their own business,” DECA Adviser Lee Geffert said.
The stores plays a key role in funding trips to district competitions, the state conference and the International Career Development Conference (ICDC), where students compete on a global level.
DECA President Kirah Geffert said the recognition highlights the work students put into keeping the businesses running.
“This is really meaningful because at RHS DECA, we rely solely on how much money we can bring in for the students,” Kirah said. “We try to make the club inclusive for all students to participate in, which means we want to take away the cost for the students.”
The national standards for gold recertification include documentation of operation, good customer service, business strategy, and more standards. Lee said the certification confirms that the stores meet those standards while continuing to provide valuable, hands-on experience.
Junior Miller Brant said working in the stores gives students a direct role in the work space.
“It’s really cool to actually be a part of something that people use every day,” Brant said. “You feel like what you’re doing actually matters.”
Junior Graydon Bryan said the stores also create a sense of community, while teaching important business concepts.
“It’s a really good way to learn things about business and get a taste of the real world,” Bryan said.
Looking ahead, DECA hopes to take both stores to ICDC in April, where they will competed against stores from around the world.
“Being able to qualify for gold means that we can continue to run these stores so our students can compete internationally,” Lee said. “And hopefully become the best in the world.”
