You may have noticed the closure of the Merc last semester, as a central Ralston Valley icon disappeared from the school day. But, the Mercantile will be up and running again tomorrow, Jan. 25, 2018.

The new hours of the concession stand will be from 1:30 PM-3:00 PM Tuesday-Friday.

The Mercantile will be serving a new menu, filled with snacks and various kinds of smoothies.

The new Mercantile will be the product of a joint effort between Business Education, ESS, and the Food and Consumer Sciences. It will be a student-volunteer run business, as students in the Introductory Business class are required to work for three shifts during the semester.

After mid-April, the FACS students will take over command of the Mercantile.

While RV administrators are still working to find a way to provide school credit for working at the Merc, it is a way for students to gain work experience in the school environment.

Mr. Scott Rogers, a Business and Econ teacher, commented, “While it is official, there may be some evolution or expanding in the future.”

Once again, the Mercantile will become a staple in the Ralston Valley Community, but this time it will be a way to give students real life business experience.