The Ferguson Student Center Starbucks will find a new home in September, moving downstairs into the game room to expand the food court seating area into its current location.
“This will be the largest Starbucks in the United States,” Kristina Hopton-Jones, director of University Dining Services said.
Starbucks Corporate could not be reached to confirm Hopton-Jones’ statement by the time of publication.
A construction timeline is not yet confirmed, Hopton-Jones said, but the hope is for the new facility to open at the end of September. However, students should not expect any disruption in getting their daily caffeine fix.
“The Starbucks opening downstairs and closing upstairs will be coordinated so that we will not lose a day of service to construction,” she said. “This will likely occur over a weekend to ensure as little disruption as possible.”
The new Starbucks will feature extended hours, new late-night programming and an increase in student job opportunities. The Annual Capital Development Plan for 2012-2013 states that with Starbucks now located closer to the University Supply Store, it will be more beneficial to business for both stores.
The plan also states that the new Starbucks will not only be a premier food service location, but also a convenient option and a potential recruitment tool.
The primary reason for this expansion plan is to compensate for the continual growth of the student body. Dining services feels the need to continue to provide sufficient service for every student.
Hopton-Jones said the current Starbucks will be removed and additional seating will fill the vacated space to help with overcrowding during peak lunch hours.
“I’m really excited about the expansion,” said Suzanne Christiansen, a senior majoring in finance and economics. “I come up here to study and sometimes there is not enough room to sit.”
Christiansen said she is a regular at Starbucks and the workers even know her by name. One of the major perks that Christiansen said she is looking forward to will be the longer hours as well as cutting down on the long lines.
“At 8:30 in the morning, the line is outside the door,” Christiansen said. “I hope this expansion will help with that problem.”
However, not everyone on campus is looking forward to this expansion plan.
Codara Cochran, a senior majoring in media productions, said he is not a regular at Starbucks but is more concerned with the closing of the game room.
“I think the average students would love this, but for the people who enjoy the niche things that were going on in the game room, like game nights, now they have to find somewhere else,” Cochran said. “We are being pushed out for expansion.”
Steve Spellman, a senior majoring in English, said he is also concerned with the closing of the game room and hopes they will find another place to host the activities that occur there.
“I understand business expansion, but at the same time, they are taking something away from the students, like the game room where you can go to relax,” Spellman said. “However, it’s part of business and part of life, so I can adjust.”
