An area caffeine staple will close its doors next month after more than 13 years on campus.
Bucks County Coffee, located between 34th and 36th streets along Sansom Street will close on May 23. The store is one of three Buck's County Coffee shops in University City, along with a store at 40th and Locust streets and a kiosk at 30th Street Station.
The Black Cat Gift Shop, which sells products from international handicrafts and work from local artists, will move into the space, said Michael Bradley, director of marketing and information technology for White Dog Cafe Enterprises, which operates both the cafe and the gift shop.
The reason for Bucks' departure, according to Bucks Executive Vice President Edith Williams, is that the retail space does not allow for enough customers.
"We're saddened by [having to leave], but we just can't operate in that space anymore," she said.
The move comes after several attempts to expand the space or move into King's Court English College House or the Law School.
"We tried for two years to expand the size of the seating," Williams said. "We couldn't grow the sales in that location."
Some will mourn the exit of the small coffee shop. College freshman Sanae Lemoine patronizes Bucks three to four times a week, because of the "quiet and calm atmosphere."
"It's kind of a pity they're closing," she said, adding, "They're very friendly, and you get to know the people pretty well."
A second Starbucks opened nearby last year and is one of the possible reasons business has slowed, said Josh Tweedy, a former manager of the 34th Street Bucks.
Lemoine, however, said she preferred Bucks' environment.
Starbucks is "much colder, bigger, more anonymous," she said, adding that Bucks is "a much more intellectually stimulating environment," given the store's clientele.
Tweedy said his customers have been surprised and disappointed by the news that the coffee shop would close.
"This place runs on regulars - if they come in often, we know their order [by heart]," he said.
Despite the latest moves and closings in University City - University Jewelers closed last month - Penn officials remain unworried about the economic health of the district.
"University City is thriving," Penn President Amy Gutmann said. While admitting there will still be "natural turnover," Penn has a 97-percent retail occupancy, far higher than the national average, Gutmann said.
Barring any major renovations - which at this point seem unlikely, Bradley said - the Black Cat will take over the space a month after Bucks leaves.
