New coffee shop highlights pavilion
Coffeehouse will face competition when the cyber pavilion behind Fondren library opens in a few years.
Director of Housing and Dining Mark Ditman said Rice is negotiating a contract with an outside coffee company to operate in the pavilion. Ditman said financial concerns played a significant role in the decision to bring in an outside vendor.
“Whoever we ultimately contract to operate [the pavilion coffeeshop], there’s a large capital investment they will need to make,” Ditman said. “That operation is also going to have to help service the debt associated with the building. It won’t carry the whole building, but there is a very significant financial requirement for the company that operates out of that space.”
Student Center Assistant Director Pamelyn Shefman said she hopes that the student-run coffeehouse will continue after the construction of the pavilion.
“It’s a great opportunity for our students to be able to manage, run and facilitate an operation that’s their own,” Shefman said. “There’s definitely a different feeling between having to go to a shift because that’s your job versus [when] it’s your coffeehouse.”
Ditman said he thinks the student-run Coffeehouse will be able to compete with the new operation by offering different menu items.
“I think there’s some frozen dessert possibilities that may be an interesting thing to offer [at Coffeehouse],” Ditman said. “Chef Roger and I were in a conference and we saw a crepe operation that was really interesting and well received. I know the coffee is interesting and should continue to be a product of the product mixup, but I do think some complementary things would help it compete in a positive way in the market.”
Ditman also discussed possibilities for student-owned and run organizations after future renovations to the Student Center. Ditman said one option is for students to compete for a space in the Student Center, with the winner allowed to run a food enterprise the following year.
“I think that it’s a possibility to replace or complement [Coffeehouse],” Ditman said. “I think there are a lot of possibilities that are worth looking into.”
Ditman said Coffeehouse will remain competitive as long as it continues to offer creative menu items.
“The coffeehouse certainly has improved their product over the past year — they’ve done a great job,” Ditman said. “People need a reason to show up. It’s got to be interesting and effective, and I think so long as all those operations do that, they can remain financially viable.”
Shefman said the Coffeehouse student managers decided to keep working this summer. In the past, the Coffeehouse closed during finals and remained closed until its staff was available to work.
Coffeehouse General Manager Mara Courtney said the Coffeehouse’s hours this summer were similar to those of the Student Center.
In May, Coffeehouse hired a full-time professional barista, Heather Villalobos, which Courtney, a Baker College junior, said helped allow for the extended hours.
“She’s been a lifesaver,” Courtney said. “She’s been able to get there and open the coffeehouse at 7:30, which is sometimes quite hard for a student to do.”
Shefman said the addition of Villalobos will not decrease the number of student employees at the Coffeehouse.
“[Heather’s] role is to help facilitate the operation — be a professional barista,” Shefman said. “We’ve actually hired new student employees over the summer.”
Shefman said Coffeehouse customers were pleased with the new hours. She said she hopes to extend Coffeehouse’s hours in the fall, as well.
“They’re trying to open before 8 a.m. so that people who have an 8 a.m. class can actually get to the coffeehouse beforehand” Shefman said.
Courtney said Coffeehouse will continue its environmental and political awareness campaign in the fall.
“We moved to 100 percent free-trade certified coffee last year, and that’s been a real big success,” Courtney said.
Courtney said she will lobby the Housing and Dining staff to brew free-trade coffee in the serveries.
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