Sherburne Co. courthouse's new barista aims to give every customer a daily bright spot

ELK RIVER, Minn. — It's typically a place people go to handle business, but lately it's become a place for people to get a boost. Sherburne County Courthouse is, at least by one measure, a happier and tastier place for it.

A barista named Andrea Earl, and her good friend Aleigha Arvidson, are serving up coffee there with a smile.

"It's a lot of fun greeting them in the morning, big smiles, greeting them throughout the day, a big part of my day," Marc Schneider, with the county's planning and zoning department, said.

"Andrea has such a good heart. Those of us who are frequent customers, she learns our drinks," county administrator Bruce Messelt said. "'Do you want your chai tea latte today?'"

Earl and her lattes have only been here a few months, part of a new program with Options Inc. — a group that works to give jobs to people of all abilities — along with the county. Blackbird Coffee proved a fast hit.

"Just the success that can be had by anybody, especially hiring those with a disability, is critical for people to see," Options Inc. Executive Director Brenda Gelbert said.

"Sometimes we can segment our population — whether it be elderly or people with disabilities — we can kind of segment them and put them away. So to see them fully functioning and us fully functioning as a community, I think it's really healthy," Messelt said.

Earl says working there and giving everyone a happy moment in their day has given her a sense of pride.

"I love it," she said. "Makes me feel happy, wonderful, joyful, and I love working with all the different people who come."

Earl says her job training with Options Inc. has given her the confidence to create a new goal: to move into her own apartment with her best friend and to work full-time at a Zimmerman coffee shop.