According to comments from campus services, University Dining is currently working with multiple different departments and contractors to work through the logistics of whether a second fully operational Starbucks, similar to the one in the social sciences building, could be built in the Carmichael Student Center.
“It is true that University Dining is working with Planning, Design and Construction and May Architecture to evaluate the feasibility of a new Starbucks on the first floor of the Carmichael Student Center,” Campus Services said in a response.
“The concept under review is a full-service Starbucks operated by University Dining,” Campus Services said. “Similar to the Starbucks in the Social Sciences building.”
In addition to providing a second location for students to get Starbucks, Campus Services also said that this prospective new Starbucks would create jobs on campus.
“We expect the new location to create approximately 20 to 30 on-campus jobs, including 5-6 full-time positions, 1-2 part-time positions and 15-20 student assistant positions,” Campus Services said.
When asked whether this new Starbucks location would negate the opportunity cost of utilizing this space to conduct university business through the use of this space for offices, Campus Services responded that building this Starbucks would essentially be conducting university business.
“Like all University Dining retail operations, the goal first and foremost is to provide a service to students and the campus community while maintaining a self-supporting, fiscally healthy operation,” Campus Services said. “Like all University Dining retail operations, the goal first and foremost is to provide a service to students and the campus community while maintaining a self-supporting, fiscally healthy operation.”
“University business by our definition is anything that supports the student experience, and this concept is in response to demand for coffee in a more central location,” Campus Services added.
As to whether this location could be temporary and utilized for a different purpose within a short amount of time, Campus Services said that this location would be owned and operated by University Dining as a franchisee.
“All operating decisions related to the location would be made by KSU,” Campus Services said.
If construction of the second Starbucks moves forward, Campus Services said construction would be scheduled to begin in Spring 2024, with completion estimated to be before the start of the Fall 2024 semester.
For more information about University Dining and what they do, you can visit their website.
