University City now offers one more cheap alternative for lunch.
Aroma Cafe, located in International House at 3701 Chestnut St., has just opened for business and is already crowded around lunchtime, restaurant manager Victor Spillman said.
He and owner Gennady Goldberg opened the restaurant two weeks ago, after Goldberg's other cafe in International House was relocated within the building.
Instead of continuing with the same cafe, Goldberg decided to create a new establishment.
When the two men, both immigrants - Spillman is from Switzerland and Goldberg hails from Ukraine - were deciding on a name, they began "knocking around a couple of different names and started to describe what we're looking for in a cafe," Spillman said. "We said we would cook this and that, which would have that aroma."
Aroma Cafe, with orange walls, three tables and bar seating, is connected to the first floor of International House, which offers even more seating.
Spillman added that the locale will be even more "fun" in the summer.
"We'll have outside tables and we can barbeque," he said.
Though customers must currently order in the restaurant, a takeout menu is in its final stages, Spillman added.
The menu ranges from breakfast items to dinner and includes a wide array of foods and drinks - the types of coffee and hot drinks regularly served at Starbucks, an assortment of smoothies, paninis, sandwiches, salads and soups.
Aroma Cafe's prices are about 20 percent lower than those of Starbucks, Spillman said.
The hours thus far have been from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays. These hours are subject to change since an "extensive dinner menu is in the works," he added.
According to Spillman, when that new menu is introduced, the cafe will probably be open until 10 p.m.
College freshman Rachel Grosser said she was willing to try the cafe.
"Perhaps I would try it out, but I don't know if it would become a place I frequent," she said. "I am a pretty religious Starbucks customer."
Spillman, who before working at Aroma, ran a coffee shop at the Penn Veterinary Hospital for 10 years, said turnout has been very good - yesterday about 70 customers ordered at lunchtime.
"There are quite a lot of people that keep coming back," he said. "That indicates to me that they like what they're getting here."
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