In a couple weeks, some students will be able to get their coffee fix in their pajamas, right down the hall from their rooms.

Students in the entrepreneurship and innovation learning community on the third floor of Buchanan Hall are in the process of getting real-world experience by starting their own business.

Angela Groh, former Government of the Student Body president and former resident of the learning community, had the idea of starting up a coffee and snack shop in spring 2005.

Buchanan Hall doesn’t have any dining services to accommodate its residents. Having a coffee shop would be convenient to students and better than a vending machine, said Megan Todd, junior in marketing and member of the learning community.

In spring 2005, the students in the learning community started planning and researching.

They surveyed students in the building and found out that many would support and take advantage of a coffee and snack shop. The students split up into several committees to divide out the work.

In spring 2006, they applied for a grant and met with associates with the Sandage Charitable Trust, which is headed by Duane Sandage, a private supporter of Iowa State with an interest in entrepreneurship.

The students presented their grant proposal, or business plan, to Sandage and a few weeks later were given $8,700 to start up the Barista Cafe.

“[Sandage] really loves the idea of the students learning through hands-on experience,” said Judi Eyles, program coordinator for the small business development center and adviser for the learning community.

Balancing classwork with the business is challenging for the students, Eyles said.

“Typically someone who is starting a business, that is all they do,” she said.

The learning community has been working with ISU Dining and other resources in the area.

Dining services has played a minimal role in the process, said Todd Holcomb, interim director for ISU Dining.

“They are trying to give us advice along the way,” said Brandon Kennedy, junior in mechanical engineering and member of the learning community.

ISU Dining is also in the process of helping connect the students with vendors, possibly the same vendors used by dining services.

“We never approached this as a competition issue,” Holcomb said. “We approached it as students learning the process.”

Although the students are getting help from ISU Dining, the coffee shop will be completely owned and run by the learning community.

The coffee shop’s target market is residents of Buchanan Hall, members of the nearby greek houses and people who walk by the building, said Amberly Hagen, sophomore in apparel merchandising, design and production.

Members of the learning community plan to advertise by putting up signs along the street and distributing fliers.

“We’re still doing research,” Todd said. “It’s a work in progress.”

No start-up business is 100 percent efficient from the get-go. Eyles said this is a perfect opportunity for the students. She said when starting a business you run into blocks, but you learn from them.

“That’s the beauty of this, they are learning every step of the way,” she said. “They are very proud and excited about it, but hopefully they can keep their grades up.”

There are about 15 students involved in the coffee shop.

“This is a really great group, everyone is really involved,” Todd said.

The students hope to have the Barista Cafe up and running in late October or early November.

The students are in the process of surveying Buchanan residents to establish the hours of operation and prices and menu items. They plan to accept Dining Dollars and CyCash.