Nicol Zhou ’10, who participated in the initial discussions concerning the café, explained, “The trial run of the café is a chance to see whether or not the idea is feasible, and whether or not there is enough demand to support the cafe’s continued existence. In the meantime, hopefully students will enjoy the increased amenities being made available to them in the gym. We hope to get lots of feedback and suggestions on this initiative.”
Chris Anderson ’12, the Amherst Association of Students (AAS) senator who proposed the idea, hopes to expand the Café products in the future and create a gathering place for students: “I hope that the Lord Jeff Café will be a convenient place for students, faculty, staff and visitors to grab a snack or smoothie. The location is perfect for relaxing after a workout or getting something to eat or drink before watching a sporting event. I believe the café will become a vibrant hub on campus.”
Anderson also hopes to expand the offerings of the café after the trial run to serve prepared food. “We hope to ultimately receive health and safety certification that allows us to serve prepared foods and drinks. Also, we envision a wide array of specially made smoothies and shakes with names relevant to the Amherst community” such as “The Tony Marx or The After-TAP Special,” said Anderson in his proposal to the AAS Senate on Nov. 17.
Director of Athletics Suzane Coffey said she is “excited to experiment with the café concept.” She further explained, “The AAS and Athletics will share fiscal and operational responsibility for the pilot [run of the café].”
According to an agreement reached by a series of discussions between Coffey and a group of AAS Senators, including Anderson and Zhou, “the AAS [will] fund this trial run at 60 percent of costs, and the Athletic Department will fund the remaining 40 percent.” The Athletics Department also pledged to provide the necessary furniture for the café.
In accordance with the agreement between Athletics and the Senate, $3,000 of the expected $5,000 necessary for the trial run was funded by Interim Student Life Fund. The remaining $2,000 will come from the Athletics budget.
“All revenues generated from the operation of the Lord Jeff Café trial run are to be donated to the College,” Anderson said, with the expectation that the revenue will help fund the operational cost of running the café. He added that if there is a surplus, “In the future, profits may be donated directly to charities as well.”
According to the initial plans, a student worker who is responsible for “keep[ing] track of all receipts from purchases and is responsible for all foods, drinks and cash” will staff the café. The prices will be the same as those of Schwemm’s Coffee House for items that are offered at both venues. For other products, prices will have to be determined by a group of people, including Shannon Gurek, the Associate Treasurer and Director of the Budget of the College, and Anderson, who also plans to set up an account so that students may use AC Dollars to purchase café products.
In order to ensure that the café runs smoothly, Anderson and other senators will also “consult with Gurek on appropriate control measures for cash received, and set up an accounting and tracking system like the one used by Schwemm’s.”
The café is a welcome addition to the gym’s facilities for many students. According to Katrina Gonzales ’12, “The cafe may be what makes me start going [to the gym].”
Emily Figueroa ’11 also embraced the idea of the Lord Jeff Café. “I think it’s a great idea. It’s kind of like rounding out the fitness center because nutrition is important and if they are going to have healthy products, I think it is a good addition to the Fitness Center. I think that it will be a popular resource of the athletic facilities. It is also nice that there will be additional student job openings on campus, seeing as a lot of student employees had their hours cut as a result of the cutbacks,” she said.