The majority of high schoolers are securing jobs close to home, but Erin Polk is distinguishing herself by managing her own business.
WLS-TV 7 reports Erin is the proud owner of Erin’s Cup, a coffee shop located in the Morgan Park neighborhood of Chicago, IL. The 17-year-old spoke the feat into existence when she was just 2 years old, and to her family, her business comes as no surprise.
“‘We’ll get Erin a cup, We’ll get Erin a cup,’” her mother, Heidi Polk, remembers saying when her daughter was a toddler, according to the outlet. “And there’s how Erin’s Cup [came about]. She wanted a cup of coffee at a coffee house.”
Erin’s Cup has been open for business for a couple months but already has loyal customers such as Ronnie Mosley, who has a liking for several menu items.
“Macchiato, lemonade refresher is great, the chai tea is great,” Mosley said, according to WLS-TV 7.
“If you come here, we’ll know you by name. Everybody is very close knit, it’s like family right here,” Erin expressed.
While the labor of love appears to be fairing well for the young teen, she admits there were difficulties getting the shop up and running from its concept to design.
“Everything brick by brick. It was really difficult. It’s so rewarding,” she added.
What’s more, Erin’s vision was brought to life with the help of her business partner, Khale Hunter, who runs the business Monday through Friday while Erin attends the De La Salle Institute, a college prep high school, as an honor roll student. You can find her running the shop on the weekends.
“Here we have a budding young entrepreneur. This is what our community has cultivated, prayed for and worked for,” Mosley noted, according to WLS-TV 7.
The outlet shares that Erin is one of the only Black teens to own a coffee shop in Chicago. She left an encouraging message for others who are looking to make their dreams a reality.
“I’m telling you as soon as you take that first step forward, you’re gonna — it’s going to be so rewarding. Don’t let anything stop you,” Erin said.
