By Theresa Schliep
Construction in Dealy Hall is due to a new Starbucks location coming to campus. (Owen Corrigan/The Fordham Ram)
Tired of the walk to Fordham Plaza when you want a unicorn frappe or normal coffee? Walk no further, because Starbucks is coming inside the gates and into Dealy Hall.
“We are always looking for ways to enhance the dining program,” said Deming Yaun, dining services contract liaison at the university on the decision. “Plus this is about the most popular, successful brand on college campuses across the country.”
Yaun said the location will tentatively open in Dealy Hall in the fall 2017.
“We have no reason not to think [it will open in the fall] right now,” said Yaun. “We’ve done the more difficult parts of the install.”
The location will be fully owned by Starbucks, but licensed and managed by Aramark, similar to how Cosi and Argo Tea operate.
This means the location will serve bona fide Starbucks food and drink, instead of the “We Proudly Serve” served in Dagger Johns and other locations.
The new Starbucks will be on the first floor of Dealy Hall, where construction is currently taking place. It will also include a patio in the back, near the current parking spaces.
“It’s very exciting that Fordham Dining has this opportunity to bring this successful, national brand to campus,” said Yaun.
Positions in the location will first open to existing Aramark staff, according to Yaun.
Yaun said that Fordham dining has been speaking with Starbucks since he arrived at the university four years ago. They initially considered McGinley Center for a possible space, but they couldn’t decide on a place in McGinley that would both fit a Starbucks and receive decent foot traffic. Installing the space would be easier in Dealy Hall than it would have been in McGinley as well.
Dealy Hall does receive a lot of foot traffic, according to Yaun. Around 4,000 people enter and exit the building a day.
“It’s a great store to have on campus, they have a track record of high success at universities,” said Yaun.
Since it is a fully licensed store, the inside will look similar to other Starbucks locations.
Yaun said he expects it to be a busy location. Fordham dining is determining the hours for the location, as well as what mobile ordering app will be used. Yaun is not yet sure if the location will use Tapingo, the mobile ordering app deployed on campus last year, or the Starbucks app, which gives customers rewards, like free drinks.
Also to be determined is what will be made of the “We Proudly Serve” space in Dagger John’s. Yaun said they are considering expanding Chopsticks into that space, while still keeping Jamba Juice. He said this may help alleviate any inconveniences associated with ordering food at Chopsticks.
“There are often uncomfortably long lines at Chopsticks,” said Yaun.
Some students said they were excited about the idea of an on-campus Starbucks.
“I am glad that it’s not a ‘We Proudly Serve’ [location],” said Emma Diebold, FCRH ’20. “It will be very convenient to get before class, similar to Salt and Sesame in FMH. It’s a very convenient location, very central on campus.”
Still, Diebold said she would prefer more dining options instead of a Starbucks.
“Personally, I’d prefer another on-campus dining option instead.”
She said she hopes the location has “later hours at night.”