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College foodservice directors are taking a cue from national bookstore chains and are adding coffee shops in a traditional student hang out-the campus library.
Coffee shops and limited service cafes have become nearly ubiquitous in national chain and independent bookstores. While they aren't a major profit generator, they can serve as drawing cards to attract business and encourage customers to linger (and buy) once in the stores.
But this trend isn't limited to the retail trade. Public libraries, as well as those on college and university campuses, are now also beginning to feature cafes. Largely because of successful programs like Cafe Espresso stations in Border's bookstores, cafes are an amenity today's boomers and Generation Xers have come to expect.
"Our library coffee cart and seating area has become a real gathering place for students," says Kathy Gianquitti, director of dining services at the University of Rhode Island (URI). And the cart's revenues-$7,100 per month-bear this out.
While Gianquitti was able to convince library administrators on her campus to allow a cafe on premise, not all library directors are as cooperative. Many still believe that food, beverages and books don't mix.
But these traditionalists are in the minority, says Ginnie Cooper, president of the Public Library Association (PLA) and director of the Multnoham County Library, Portland, OR.
"More library administrators are seeing the value of cafes on site," says Cooper. "Cafes are wonderful amenities for patrons who want to spend the time they need to at the library without having to leave to get something to eat or drink," Cooper explains.
Still those campus foodservice directors who can see how much incremental business cafes in their libraries might generate often...