Miami Student

Issue date: 12/7/07 Section: Campus

Students wait in line to order snacks and beverages from King Café. Since opening in November last year, it has helped to alleviate crowds at Bell Tower.

King Café has been caffeinating and feeding Miami University students for more than a year now, as the coffee and snack shop opened Nov. 15, 2006.

The café, located in the basement of King Library, has caused a increase in the number of students studying at the library and since opening a year ago, it has also helped alleviate the crowds at Bell Tower and other dining halls, according to Food Service Supervisor Robert Brock.

"Students can come over here if Bell Tower is too crowded for lunch and dinner," Brock said. "The fact that everything is in one location makes a big difference."

According to John Pittman, general manager at Bell Tower, King Café may have lessened the congestion at Bell Tower, but its sales have not suffered.

"I suppose (King Café) could have an influence on (line congestion) … But, our sales are in line with last year," Pittman said.

Plans are in the making for a café similar to King's to appear in the new Farmer Hall, according to Brock. He said that the Farmer School of Business location will serve more hot food, unlike the deli offered at King, and will most likely feature several coffee related beverages as well.

The general manager of King Café, Teresa Baker, said that while there are no plans to expand the space of the King Café in the near future, the staff has discussed menu adjustments as well as a touch screen system to pre-order sandwiches or beverages.

"The volume in the area is too big because it is busy so often," Baker said. "The speed of service is a concern of ours too. By pre-ordering sandwiches or drinks so they are ready when students get to the counter could be a possibility to solve the problem."

Sophomores Kate Delaney and Lauren Shannon both addressed a side effect of the beverages and sandwiches-constant long lines. They both acknowledged the peak hours of 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. as being extremely crowded.

Shannon proposed a way to decrease the wait and make it more convenient to grab a coffee or muffin on the way to class.

"I think they should try having one line for just coffee-related drinks and sandwiches that have to be prepared and then another line for the pre-made snacks and the bottled drinks," Shannon said. "That way, it would make it easier to stop in on your way to class."

Continued...

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