12 students offer solutions to improve Book Ends Coffee Shop

After standing outside the door and stopping students and asking them to come into the Bordeaux Room, even if it’s “just for a minute,” senators hosted an open forum with 12 students to discuss changes to the Book Ends Coffee Shop in the Reta E. King Library.

Throughout the 30-minute forum, 12 students came in and out to offer their input on possible changes to the coffee shop.

Senate allocated $10,000 Monday to support the coffee shop. This will help cover a third of the cost that is split with the vice presidents and the revenue bond.

Right now the coffee shop is losing about $26,000 a year, according to Senate President Katrina Hurley and Dale Grant, vice president of finance and administration. The vice presidents are currently paying the loss.

The coffee shop only gains profit from cash or card customers. Senate is hoping that customers who have Eagle Bucks will become devoted customers and continue coming back to the shop when they run out of Eagle Bucks and pay with cash.

Senate will pay the $10,000 for the first year and see it increases the coffee shop’s profit. After the year, Senate will revaluate and will decide if they want to fund the shop another year.

Senate can offer solutions to improve the shop with the allocation. Senate was looking for student input on the changes.

Many students who attended the forum supported the suggestion of offering smoothies as a drink options. There were also complaints about the frappes not being consistent depending on the employee making the drinks.

Hurley suggested making the coffee shop into a barista style. Students seemed to support the suggestion. Hurley said if the shop was made into a barista style, there would have to be two employees working at the shop at once, instead of just one like there is now.

There would also have to be some renovations done to change the dynamic of the shop. There would have to be a glass countertop put in for food prep.

Students also suggested opening the shop earlier as there are often times people in the library for study hall as early at 7 a.m. Right now, the shop opens at 8 a.m.

Students came to the conclusion that advertising and marketing are a problem for the shop. There was a suggestion to move the coffee menu to a better location. Some students asked for sodas in the shop. They suggested maybe offering Italian cream sodas or bottled sodas.