Cafe to open in Book Store

Students who need an early morning cup of coffee or muffin but do not feel like walking to the My Favorite Muffin on 40th Street will finally have a more convenient solution. As of late March, The Book Store will house a smaller My Favorite Muffin, which will provide seating for 30. According to The Book Store Director Michael Knezic, construction will be completed around March 20, and the cafe will open soon after. The facility will include a cappuccino bar, gourmet coffees and an assortment of muffins. Unlike the restaurant on 40th Street, however, it will not sell sandwiches, Knezic said. The installation of My Favorite Muffin in The Book Store is a response to a recommendation from the Commission on Strengthening the Community that suggested the addition of a coffee and browsing area to The Book Store. With both My Favorite Muffin and the recent opening of Chats, an eatery in 1920 Commons, coffee houses will exist on both sides of the 38th Street bridge. But University officials say Chats will not hurt My Favorite Muffin's business, or vice versa. "I think they complement each other," Vice President of Business Services Steven Murray said, adding that the peak hours for the two facilities will differ. Chats has had most of its business in the late night and early morning hours. Murray said he expects The Book Store facility to be open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., serving most of its customers during The Book Store's hours of operation. "It will be a nucleus on the western side of campus," Murray said. "It will eventually counterbalance the new student center." According to Knezic, Chats and The Book Store facility will "play well with each other." "Chats is a different type of business -- more of an after-hours type of place," he said. "This is more for people going to The Book Store." To accommodate the new addition, The Book Store underwent renovations and layout changes. The renovations will cost the University $200,000, Murray said. He added, though, that the end result is worth the price. "I love the feel of the place now," he said. "It's much more the feel of being in a bookstore."