Even with three new coffee shops opening in downtown Evanston, Northwestern students need not trek off campus to get the caffeine they need to stay awake during that 9 a.m. Monday class.
Students can choose campus cafes as a place to study or grab coffee — but some would still rather buy their cappuccinos from an Evanston cafe.
Lisa’s Cafe inside Slivka Residential College opened in fall 2002 as a coffee shop option for students on North Campus. On South Campus, students now have two cafe choices — Plaza Cafe, inside University Library, opened at the end of Spring Quarter 2003, and Crowe Cafe, inside the new Crowe Hall, opened at the beginning of this academic year.
The on-campus locations emphasize convenience, especially in the blustery winter weather.
“When you’re in the library, do you want to put on your coat, your hat, your mittens and your scarf and go to Starbucks when you can go right in the building?” said Anne VanOsdol, NU’s assistant director for housing admissions, conference planning and food service. “Plus, they have those really big cookies.”
Besides cookies, each cafe offers its own array of choices for a snack or a meal. Crowe Cafe’s menu includes coffee, pastries, cookies, muffins, sandwiches and fresh fruit, said Adam Hoskinson, a supervisor at the cafe. Plaza Cafe has similar choices. Lisa’s, which also contains a convenience store, has the biggest selection, VanOsdol said.
Einstein Bros. Bagels on North Campus and Willie’s Too at Norris University Center also have a variety of coffee options.
Although Evanston coffee shops offer more options in food and beverages, including a greater variety of specialty drinks, VanOsdol said she doesn’t think business in any of the campus cafes will be affected by the three new downtown coffee shops.
“We’re where the students are,” VanOsdol said. “When you’re running around on campus going to a million classes, it’s just so nice and convenient.”
For students such as Elvia Lopez, the convenience of campus cafes is more important than selection. , The Weinberg sophomore said although she never buys pastries from campus cafes, she drinks coffee there regularly.
“I need coffee basically every day, ” Lopez said. “It’s convenient because I can just stop on the way to class.”
Another advantage cited by VanOsdol is that purchases at campus cafes can be made as part of a student’s meal plan.
“You might not have a penny in your pocket, but you have points on your WildCARD, so you can get yourself a mocha,” VanOsdol said.
Students agree with the appeal of not shelling out their own cash.
“I would always choose my parents paying for it versus me paying for it,” said Meaghan Owens, a Medill freshman. Owens also said she appreciated campus cafes because they are typically quiet, making it easier to study.
No matter how quiet or how convenient, however, some students still aren’t sold. Weinberg junior Ali Heifetz said she prefers the selection offered by Evanston coffee shops.
“Last year, when I lived north, I went to Lisa’s a lot — but just because it was the only option, not because I wanted to,” Heifetz said. “I didn’t appreciate the cardboard muffins and tea-colored coffee. They pale in comparison to real coffee shops.”
