As summer starts and teens around the nation gain three months of freedom, employment opportunities for teens can fill quickly. However, the Bahama Bucks in Allen is a place where more than a few Leopards are working.

“We have eight students from Lovejoy working at BB,” Bahama Bucks owner Bill Weyrens said. “ I love having the high school students working at BB. They bring energy and excitement to the workplace everyday. For most of them, this is their first official employment so they are eager to learn new skills and demonstrate that they are responsible.”

Some students have worked there since the beginning and enjoy the environment of Bahama Bucks.

“I’ve worked there since we opened about seven months ago,” rising senior Jordan Fontenot said. “My favorite part about working there is probably the positive atmosphere. Everyone is always having fun and it is a great environment.”

Other students enjoy the unique work perspective.

“I’ve worked at Bahama Buck’s for about six and a half months,” rising senior Maddie Keosoff said. “It’s just cool that I get to go into work and make sno, smoothies, lemonades, etc. I mean, how many people get to have loads of fun where they work? Sometimes we even have snowball fights.”

Weyrens agrees with his employees.

“In my opinion, it is the great people (team members), great product, and a fun atmosphere,” Wayrens said. “They like working with people their own age.  It also provides the flexibility to adapt to their individual schedule.  They also have an opportunity to work their way into more responsibility and money by passing a series of level tests.”

Leopards who work at Bahama Bucks feel like everyone is considered equal, even with fellow students on different levels.

“When you are hired, you are ground level,” class of 2015 graduate Kaylin King said. “Then you take a recipe test which is for making sure you know your smoothies and all that stuff. You take a level one test where someone is watching you as you do shaving, register, and smoothies and you also have to take a written test too. Level two and level three are pretty much the same thing, just more in depth. The highest we have are level two. People with keys are usually seen as higher up, but we are all treated as equals.”