By Laura Acuff, Student Reporter
Brown Library’s Starbucks is undergoing an evaluation by the Campus Center renovation team to decide whether to maintain the facility as is or to convert it into a fully-licensed Starbucks or an Einstein Bros. Bagel.
The decision may be announced as early as this spring, with any potential renovations scheduled for summer 2008, said chief auxiliary service officer Anthony Williams.
“We’ve had conversations about this over the last year, and we’re continually trying to make sure that we identify expectations from those who we serve, and then we position ourselves to exceed those expectations,” Williams said.
The Brown Library Starbucks claims “proudly brew” status, Williams said. As opposed to a fully-licensed Starbucks, “proudly brew” level establishments sell only Starbucks’ customary hot beverages. Most of Starbucks’ seasonal items and cold beverages are not on the Brown Library Starbucks’ menu.
Lucy Balthrop, sophomore biology major from College Station, said she usually eats in the library at least once a day, mostly out of convenience. While she finds the library facility’s current “proudly brew” status satisfactory, she believes improvements could be made.
“I don’t know anything about Einstein’s Bagel,” Balthrop said. “I think it’d be pretty exciting if they went to full Starbucks, but bagels are cool. It might be cool if they had the same cold drinks as real Starbucks.”
Ellen Pfeiffer, sophomore marketing and finance major from Katy, said although she has never eaten at an Einstein Bros. Bagel, she anticipates positive and negative changes accompanying either option.
“I like Starbucks because I like coffee,” Pfeiffer said. “I don’t want it to change to a bagel shop if there’s no more coffee, but I would like the bagels because they’re healthier. It would be a good alternative to coffee and/or the muffins.”
ACU’s 21st Century Vision campaign inspired these potential changes, like others around campus, Williams said.
“It is a very exciting time to be at Abilene Christian University,” Williams said. “You have a number of different committees and individuals who are collectively trying to offer an atmosphere and amenities that really position Abilene Christian University in a very advantageous position compared to those who we compete against. We will probably continue to try to retrieve information to make sure the systems we’re making are consistent with the system we serve.”
