Making the shift from being an online-only store, the Nest will open for in-person business this Thursday.
The store will be open on Thursdays and Fridays during all three lunch periods. Prices can be found on their online store.
The Nest requests that students not bring any food or drinks into the store, avoid loitering in the store and finish shopping five minutes before lunch ends.
“I’m glad it is opening and happy that students will get a chance to buy products because sometimes after or before school doesn’t work for people’s busy schedules,” senior Taryn French, who designs the products and helps run the social media accounts, said.
The store will sell Gretna East merchandise, as well as specific football game theme apparel, corresponding with the game themes decided by Student Council. All of the apparel is designed by students.
“I just think of either trendy styles right now, or go super basic that everyone would like,” French said. “I hope that more people will buy shirts and hoodies, but also just put money back into the program so we can keep making shirts.”
Other students who work on the Nest echoed French’s feelings on the student-made apparel.
“I’m so excited for the Nest to be open and for students to see the new designs,” senior Sloane Bailey said. “I feel like we know the student body the best. We just create what we would wear.”
With the help of 18 students in his fifth-hour entrepreneurship class, business teacher Matthew Renshaw developed this project, but the students will handle running the business.
“Running the store puts all of our past business classes together,” Bailey said.
The class will be divided into different rotating “departments” each week to handle things like marketing, design, social media, finances and sales for the store.
“It’s basically like you’re working your own business,” Renshaw said. “The concepts that, if you were to start a business like we do in Entrepreneurship, this is what you have to do. This is the back-end stuff. It’s not all, ‘I opened a store and now I have customers.’ There’s more to it than that. They’ll do the money. They’ll design the shirts. And we’ll fill needs as they come in. They make all the products.”
As of now, there are no immediate plans to open the store outside of lunchtime, but it is a possibility for the future. Because the class is only one period per day, fifth hour, lunchtime is the only available time for students to run the store. However, if the class expanded to different periods, longer store hours could be added. Renshaw is also looking at the possibility of opening the Nest during after-school events such as parent-teacher conferences and open house nights.
“I hope that it will grow to make more products and even more designs,” French said. “It is super fun.”
The Nest started in 2023, with the opening of Gretna East. At the time, the store was completely online with only one student enrolled in Renshaw’s entrepreneurship class. Now, Renshaw’s goal of an in-person store has been achieved.
“It’s exciting,” Renshaw said. “It’s grown to this, and we’re finally going to get to open a store. It’s cool to see, knowing where we’ve been and where we’re headed.”
The Nest is currently selling neon shirts for the varsity football game on Sept. 5, pink shirts for the game on Oct. 2 and black shirts for the game on Oct. 24. Students can order these theme shirts online for $15 individually or $40 for all. Some extras may be available in store. Students can also bring in their own clothing to the Nest and have a GEHS logo printed on it for a charge.
