On Monday the long-awaited Starbucks coffee opened its doors in the Jack B. Kelley food court. Established in the location in which a Java City coffee shop was the previous occupant, this is the first Starbucks to open in Canyon. There has been much buzz across the campus centered on the anticipation of the well-known brand making its way into West Texas A&M University.
In the week leading up to Starbucks’ opening, the whirring of blenders and milk frothers was heard from outside the white tent surrounding the developing establishment. Employees in training could be seen exiting the tent periodically in order to give lucky students a free cup of whichever drink they had just learned to concoct. While builders, employees and supervisors were unable to comment on the progress of the coffee shop, students seem to have decisive takes on the presence of the shop.
“I love Starbucks coffee, and I am getting really excited for it to open, even though the date has been pushed back.” Grace Lee, freshman pre-med major, said. “I think its brand power will bring in a lot of students and faculty.”
Many students are aware the date for Starbucks’ first day of business has been pushed previously.
“We saw the date get pushed by over month,” Cameron Tipton, the Student Body Chief Justice in Student Government, said. “The final date they set was pretty firm compared to the ones before, though.”
The general student response to the date changes confirmed the excitement on campus for the Starbucks arrival. However, questions have arose on how the coffee shop backed by brand recognition will compete with other area coffee shops.
“For Canyon’s main coffee shops, Palace and the Paper Crane, the new Starbucks shouldn’t interfere too much,” Tipton said, “especially considering that they both have their own unique aspects that make them a part of the community.”
The coffee shop for which its patrons seem most concerned as it begins to face a new competitor is Pippa’s Coffee Shop, located in the Cornette Library.
“Pippa’s is an unconventional coffee place, and that might cause it to suffer more than the other coffee shops in town when Starbucks opens,” Aerin Coats, the Student Body Vice President, said.
By opening the new Starbucks, Coats said, “It should really create a new kind of hub on campus.”
Since Starbucks is located in a central location, it is a good candidate for the creation of a larger sense of student community as many stand in line for the familiar coffee fix.
