LeBron James’ business portfolio continues to grow, and he’s seemingly continuing to increase his net worth, which reached $1 billion several months ago according to Forbes magazine.
On Wednesday, he officially opened a Starbucks in his native Akron, Ohio, and it includes a Chase bank, a wine room, a bar, a social room and even a “LeBron museum” that has a replica of the apartment he lived in before he headed to the NBA.
Normally, business ventures such as this one could be dismissed as the proprietor simply looking to make more money. However, the employees of this particular Starbucks enjoy a perk — they will earn job-training certificates they can use to start a career in the hospitality industry.
Via The Athletic:
“The 46 people who work there are all being paid an hourly salary, but on top of the money are earning valuable job-training certificates for the hospitality industry,” wrote Joe Vardon.
“It’s an entirely new way to think about job training, which is typically done at community colleges and vocational schools where the students aren’t being paid for the pieces of paper they get that they hope one day opens a door for them into the career field of their choice.
“… They all will be trained in every facet of every business at House Three Thirty, from event planning to food service (there’s a fancy test kitchen in the basement sponsored by Pepsi, another of LeBron’s partners), to janitorial work. They get paid and they get the training credits.
“None of the other nearly 33,000 Starbucks on Earth are like this one in Akron, which opened Wednesday morning, in no small part because it’s the only Starbucks that is a part of James’ now 12-year quest to break cyclical poverty in his hometown by confronting its root causes.”
House Three Thirty is the name of the facility that houses this particular Starbucks. James’ foundation purchased it three years ago, and it plans on adding a taco shop, an ice cream parlor and a clothing store while also allowing it to be used as a venue for concerts and even weddings.
Happy 330 Day! @LJFamFoundation
House Three Thirty is an expansive community space that provides I PROMISE families with job training and mentorship while serving the entire community and beyond with world-class dining, retail, arts and entertainment offerings. 💚 pic.twitter.com/2bcjChX2oZ
— Kaulig Giving (@KauligGiving) March 30, 2023
It is initiatives such as this one that help people to help themselves and ultimately enrich the fiber of a community and the nation as a whole.
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