Reporter
CSU Bakersfield began construction on Starbucks Coffee Company on July 1 located inside the campus bookstore. Instead of traveling off campus to high-volume Starbucks locations with ongoing lines, students, staff and faculty will soon have a store on campus.
Aramark, CSUB’s food network service for most of dining, has been delivering food more frequently while the renovations and construction continue this semester.
Although the university and Aramark are opening a Starbucks on campus, Peet’s Coffee & Tea, the longtime campus café, will be closing shortly after Starbucks’ grand opening Shortly after, it will become a convenience store. Students on campus said the campus should keep both establishments open and running.
Junior liberal studies major, Estela Pruneda, 20, enjoys Peet’s Café’s product variety over Starbucks’s localized menu choices.
“Peet’s Café is just here on campus and has a variety compared to Starbucks. It’s just different from Starbucks. It’s better, in my opinion, to keep Peet’s on campus,” said Pruneda.
Construction for Starbucks, Rowdy’s, Panda Express, and Which Which began on July 1, 2017, but they are having issues with completing the work before the end of the semester.
Therefore, the grand openings remain undetermined. Mid-October was the original expected date for students to have access to these dining options.
“Peet’s has more food options, smoothies, and different options for coffee,” said Pruneda.
Mobile food trucks are available at the university during the new dining construction. Local food companies Banderas Burger Grill, The Curbside Kitchen, Super Winnie, and Gold Tacos are providing their services to hungry CSUB community members during lunch hours.
Starbucks will become an additional place to eat along with the upcoming restaurants.
CSUB bookstore manager Richard Salcedo could not be reached for comment on the delay of construction for both Starbucks and the bookstore.
Senior liberal studies major, Yasmine Valencia, 20, said that the campus should keep both Peet’s Café and Starbucks available.
“I don’t mind Starbucks, but I personally enjoy Peet’s. I mean, it would be great if we can keep both on campus,” said Valencia.
The new campus dining services were announced on Aug. 27 through a press email from the Student Affairs department.
Third semester CSUB master’s student in education counseling, Mayra Tenorio, 24, enjoys Starbucks and anticipates visiting the campus bookstore Starbucks quite often once it opens. Tenorio is a graduate student leader for the university’s Student Health Services.
“I love Starbucks. I think it will be convenient because, normally, I drive here to Stockdale. Having one on campus will be really good. I’m here three days a week, so I might be going two times a week,” said Tenorio.
For now, the hours of operation for Starbucks are still to be determined.
Peet’s Café’s hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays, with the café closed on the weekends. These hours will remain until further notices of closing Peet’s on campus for good.
