Dunkin’ Donuts will have a soft opening Monday, the first day of Spring Quarter, on the ground floor of Norris University Center.

“We are trained and staffed and ready to go,” Norris executive director Kelly Schaefer said. “We will celebrate a grand opening on April 10 when we have the opening bugs worked out.”

The cafe’s grand opening will include a presentation and free samples and giveaways, Schaefer said. She said she is also attempting to secure the attendance of several campus administrators.

The cafe’s hours, which were determined through student input and survey responses, will be similar to those at Starbucks during the week but will close earlier on Friday and Saturday and open later on weekends, Schaefer said. Monday through Thursday, Dunkin’ Donuts will open at 8 a.m. and close at 11:45 p.m.

Schaefer said the chain will have a full menu with the exception of espresso drinks, due to the previously established contract with Starbucks.

The franchise has also held “stress tests” over the past few days to prepare the staff and eliminate any problems in advance of its official opening. Schaefer said during the tests, the cafe operated normally and participants were given coupons and asked to evaluate the service they received.

She said she attempted to gather a wide variety of individuals to participate in order to effectively gauge the cafe’s service and ensure all internal errors are fixed.

“We are identifying some of the issues,” Schaefer said. “We want to make sure that we are smooth sailing for Monday.”

Schaefer said she is excited for the official opening and thinks the franchise will be a positive addition to Norris.

“It was always our goal to open on the first day of Spring Quarter so we could delight students on the first day of the quarter,” Schaefer said. “Overall, we’re excited that we can bring a variety of offerings to Norris.”

Email: rebeccasavransky2015@u.northwestern.edu
Twitter: @beccasavransky