The Los Banos Campus of Merced College has seen some internal construction for many months but now the wait is over. On Oct. 30, the new Starbucks cafe opened for business to students and staff. Anyone can stop by and try all of the delicious drinks and snacks Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon.
This reporter is a student attending the Los Banos Campus of Merced College and was one of the first people to try the new cafe. My go-to order is a warmed banana-nut muffin with a hot caramel macchiato. I was very impressed by how fast my order was made, how kind the baristas were and how good the quality of both the muffin and drink was.
For the upcoming holidays, the Blue Devil’s Brew Cafe is offering many special drinks and samples, which include pumpkin spice lattes and the Hello Kitty Holiday special, which features eight types of coffee:the Hello Kitty, Kuromi, My Melody, Cinamonroll, Keroppi, Badtz Maru, Pompompurin, and the Chococat drinks.
The café’s regular menu options consist of coffee, frappuccinos, tea and refreshers. There are also many breakfast and brunch options such as muffins, sandwiches, croissants, bagels, scones, cinnamon rolls and pizza.
I had the honor of speaking with the dean of the Los Banos Merced College campus, Dr. Jessica Moran. I asked many questions about the process and outcome of the Blue Devil’s Brew Cafe.
When asked why Starbucks was chosen as the new addition Moran said, “We wanted to make it economical for the students and bring in actual food. We didn’t have any real food on campus before, so we wanted to bring in something with good food and beverages. We wanted to make sure that we included good coffee.”
The company that got the bid for the process was Follet, which chose to install a Starbucks because they are already in partnership.
The process of getting the campus’ Starbucks began last year.
“We remodeled the area to have more seating so students can have a place to relax. We started planning this process in the fall of last year and officially started construction in the spring.” Moran said. “We have had multiple projects going for a while, such as painting exterior buildings, installing carpet, new signage and the child development building. These were priorities, so the cafe got delayed for a year.”
Business at the café has been going well since it opened.
“It has been so busy, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. are the busiest times.” Moran said. “We are looking into getting more hours for the afternoon and evening so that the students who have later classes can have an opportunity to try the cafe.”
Describing a personal preference Moran said, “I love the vanilla cafe with sugar free vanilla and almond milk. It tastes way better than even the local Starbucks. Especially with this fall weather, the hot drinks are great.
“I’m excited that this is beginning to encourage students to stay on the campus, as well as having additional growth to the Los Banos Campus, she said. “The local community just passed Measure P so we can bring additional funding to our campus.
“Our goals include the construction of a new career tech building and the improvement of the quad so as to have new ability to bring more seating areas and create an identity for the Los Banos Campus and for students to get that college feel. It will be a space where you can more easily connect with fellow classmates and teachers.
“We are very impressed with the outcome of the café,” Moran said, “and there have been no complaints on the new area. The long process was so worth it! Everyone talks about how beautiful and how fun it is with the music and specials.”
Moran has also mentioned that the cafe will be getting new furniture, such as high tables and sofa seats with small round tables.
There are many things to look forward to with this new addition to the Los Banos Campus. As Moran said, “It definitely gives this campus more of a college feel to it. If you find yourself on campus, don’t forget to stop by to try the café’s delicious food and coffee, or just take a seat and hang out in the cafe! “
The customers at the café like it, too. “Having the new cafe is super convenient, I can grab coffee right before class,” said student Jenna Reyna.
“It was a good and refreshing drink. It was super cute and radiant,” said student Lindsey Wheldon. “I liked the green and the pink in the Kuroppi drink.“
Moran said she is proud of the new café and the service it provides. “We are definitely grateful to our new cafe staff, who always have a smile on their faces as they serve our students and staff. I really like the new culture we are creating for our campus.”
