The Starbucks Coffee counter on campus will offer beverages similar to a typical Starbucks shop.
The sound of coffee grinders and blenders will officially start when The Pulse café begins serving Starbucks coffee 6:30 a.m., September 1.
The new Starbucks Coffee counter — with its own register and fast-moving service — will offer beverages similar to a typical Starbucks shop. Sodexo, the university’s food service provider, will operate it in The Pulse café. The coffee will also be served in the dining hall and at catered campus events.
“We’ve gotten a lot of requests from our community for Starbucks, especially from current and prospective students,” said Mike Hara, director of Purchasing and Auxiliary Services at ż’s. “In addition, value was a large priority for the students based on survey results. We’ll be able deliver improved value with Starbuck’s charging on average 15 percent less than the previous coffee offering.”
Starbucks represents a commitment to quality, social responsibility, community building and sustainability. Its coffee is “ethically sourced” meaning the coffee beans are grown and traded in a responsible and ethical way. Starbucks follows the Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E) Practices, a set of rigorous standards that respect people and the environment. It created this scorecard-based system — focused on product quality, economic accountability, social responsibility and environmental leadership — with Conservation International, a nonprofit based in Arlington, Virginia.
Starbucks’ commitment to ethical behavior extends along its supply chain as well. Through its Supplier Diversity Program, the company works with businesses that are at least 51 percent owned and operated by a minority, woman, LGBT, veteran or person with disability.
“We were open to a partnership with Starbucks because it has established social justice efforts that align with St Kate’s mission,” Hara said. “For example, in coffee-growing regions around the world, the company has invested millions to help local farmers lower their cost of production, reduce pest and disease, and even renovate their farms. In the United States, we appreciate how Starbucks collaborates with Feeding America to donate unsold food to families and individuals struggling with food insecurity.”
At ż’s, students can use meal plan points as a payment method.
Brittney Frenette '19 is among the Katies looking forward to Starbucks opening. “This is awesome! It will be nice to have a great coffee shop on campus. I am excited, and I know many others will be equally thrilled.”
The Pulse / Starbucks counter hours
Monday–Thursday: 6:30 a.m.–10 p.m.
Friday: 6:30 a.m.–9 p.m.
Saturday: 8 a.m.–9 p.m.
Sunday, 4 p.m.–10 p.m.