Visual Stories

Photos: Westchester Lagoon snack shop reopens

The mint-colored shack near Westchester Lagoon in Anchorage has reopened this summer as a snack-selling offspring of the Busy Beans coffee shop tucked in Government Hill. But there's more to the business model than just selling confections and drinks to park and trail users.

The opening of "Busy Beans By the Lagoon" marks the first time a business has operated out of the lagoon-side spot since the Covey Cafe stopped selling coffee there in 2010. But Busy Beans has kept a big part of that former business alive by way of how it handles employment.

"The Covenant House kind of knocked on our door and said, 'Hey, we have help, if you have the space,'" said Jill Johnston, a quick-to-laugh mother of two who owns both Busy Beans locations. "And I said, 'Oh my gosh, yes we have the space.'"

READ MORE: Westchester Lagoon snack shack offers job opportunity for homeless Anchorage young adults

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