U. to build cafe in 1920 Commons

Saturday Night Live may not be the only source of "coffee talk" this winter. Students may soon be turning to the Class of 1920 Commons for late night coffee, snacks and conversation. As part of a plan to renovate the west wing of the Commons, the University intends to build a late night gathering place featuring a coffee house, Taco Bell and Vie de France croissant and cookie shop, according to Director of Dining Services Bill Canney. The new additions will be called "Chats" and are slated to be completed by Feb. 6. The estimated cost is $248,000, Canney said. Chats' menu will range from espresso and cappuccino to tacos and burritos to New Age Waters and Snapple. The cafe will also serve fresh brewed iced teas, herbal teas and sodas. French breads, croissants, tortes, cookies and danish will also be available. Once built, Chats will be open every day of the week. On Sundays, the cafe will operate from noon to midnight; Monday through Thursday, the cafe will have two shifts. It will open for business starting at 11:30 a.m. and will close at 3 p.m, until it reopens at 8 p.m and closes again at 1 a.m. Fridays, Chats will operate from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Saturdays from noon to 2 a.m. These hours work around the living and learning programs that are held in 1920 Commons during dinner, Canney said. But the idea for Chats is nothing new to the University. In 1989, former President Sheldon Hackney and former Provost Michael Aikin initiated a document called "Planning for the 21st Century." In it they referred to a "demand for substantial space for a late night gathering place to meet the needs of students," reads the document. "Chats will meet the University's stated objective -- providing additional facilities for casual, informal socializing for students along Locust Walk, the main east-west pedestrian spine of the University," Canney said. Safety will be a priority at Chats, Canney said. Along with uniformed security guards during late night hours, the coffee house also plans to establish a debit system modeled after those in Chicago's food court chain that use value cards instead of cash. Canney said the cafe's premise is "life without booze, safety without cash." The creators of Chats said they intend for the cafe to be a place for students to unwind from a busy day or enjoy a relaxing snack. "We want to create an environment that is warm and inviting, not sterile and informal like that of your typical dining hall," said the Executive Director of Hospitality Services Don Jacobs. "Chats encourages face to face human contact in a non-electronic environment." Canney said much research went into the Chats project before the University went ahead with the plans. After the failure of a few local coffee shops, Canney embarked on an extensive road trip to California to gather ideas from the coffee houses at such schools as Stanford University, the University of California at Los Angeles and Berkeley. He added that location is essential to the success of the new coffee house. Space in the high rises and the defunct Underground Cafe were surveyed for the project, but the 1920 Commons seemed to be the prime location to attract upperclass residents from the high rises as well as students from the other residences on and off campus. Students had mixed opinions of the new cafe when told about the University's plans this week. "It will be a great to have a social place for both upperclassmen and underclassmen to meet during those late night hours to break up the monotony of studying," said Engineering freshman Carrie VanSyckel. But Wharton freshman Matthew Alfano said he thinks the cafe "is just another way for dining services to take our money." If Chats is successful, the University will implement phase two of this project. The second phase involves placing various food kiosks around campus hoping to achieve a Paris cafe-like ambiance, Canney said. These kiosks will be called "Whispers."