Now getting your pumpkin spice latte fix is as simple as a short trip to the Campus Store’s new Starbucks.
Replacing the $1.25, self-serve coffee station previously in the area, Cameron Beck, marketing manager for the U’s Campus Store, said they partnered with Starbucks because they wanted to provide a resource for better in-store experiences.
“We took a look at what other campuses around the country have done to make campus life more enjoyable and saw that the goal of campuses across the country has been to essentially make its own, fully functioning community,” Beck said.
There are currently over 300 Starbucks on college campuses nationally.
The store is already attracting a following. On Monday — the day of the grand opening — a short but constant line of people waited to get their afternoon pick-me-up. One of those people, Stephanie Begaye, academic advisor with University College, said the only thing she doesn’t like about the new store is how easy it’ll be to feed her caffeine addiction.
“It’s a blessing and a curse, only because it’s so close to my building,” Begaye said. “It’s a new thing on campus and a good way to draw people in, and students seem to love it. The times I’ve come here it’s always been really busy.”
However, not everyone is excited for the new coffee chain. Jessica Arthurs, a junior in political science and a local barista, said she feels the new Starbucks is an unwelcome addition.
“I don’t think it reflects the Salt Lake community. I’m sure many local places would have been happy to collaborate with the U,” Arthurs said. “I think they only did it to get another corporate name on campus.”
According to the U’s Campus Map, there are 22 locations on campus for students to get their caffeine fix, not including the new addition to the bookstore.
Beck said they decided to partner with Starbucks rather than with a local establishment because of the chain’s popularity and familiarity among students.
“Starbucks is also the most popular coffee company in the world and is a destination for thousands of our students, faculty and staff each day, so it made perfect sense for us to bring them on campus where everyone can enjoy their daily coffee even more easily,” Beck said.
According to Beck, the Auxiliary Services system allocated around $575,000 to build the store.
The store will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, closed Sundays.
@EhmannKy