Meet Maria. She’s 22, a recent graduate of Oak Ridge Technical College, and she just landed her first real leadership role as an Assistant Manager at Roasted Bean Coffee, a high-end gourmet shop.
| Chapter & Department | The Coffeehouse Challenge | Group Prompt to Solve & Present |
| Group 2: Invisible Walls (External Factors) | An unannounced street festival floods the sidewalk with commuters, running the shop out of oat milk while a new city health rule requires extra temp checks on all dairy. | What are 2 immediate ways Maria can handle the oat milk shortage and keep health code rules updated during the rush? |
| Group 3: The Firefighter (Management Basics) | The line stretches out the door, the register printer jams, and the main barista is overwhelmed with 20 customized drink orders at once. | Using Planning, Organizing, Leading, and Controlling (POLC), how should Maria reassign staff and floor operations right now to survive the rush? |
| Group 4: The People Puzzle (Human Resources) | Stressed baristas are threatening to walk off mid-shift, and temporary festival workers are making mistakes on customized milk orders. | How can Maria and HR motivate the overwhelmed staff today and keep drink prep accurate without just writing people up? |
| Group 5: The Vibe & Sale (Marketing & Social) | Festival goers are crowding the doors to use the bathroom without buying anything, while pre-made cold brew bottles sit unsold on the counter. | What quick sales move on the floor and real-time social media post should Maria execute right now? |
| Group 1: Number Truth (Money & Profit) | Sales volume doubled during the festival, but profits dropped because milk was spilled during the rush, cup lids were wasted, and staff worked unplanned overtime. | What practical steps can Maria take behind the counter to stop drink waste and keep labor hours under control? |