This semester, local coffee roaster, Barnie’s Coffee & Tea Co., has taken the place of Starbucks Coffee in the Bookmark Cafe.
For many students on campus, coffee is a daily staple. Located in Olin Library, the Bookmark Cafe serves an average of 700 cups of coffee per week, which is included in the 615 pounds of ground coffee and 540 pounds of espresso beans consumed on campus annually.
The cafe changed brands to further its efforts to be more environmentally conscious and provide dining options from ethically sourced companies.
Certain Barnie’s Coffee blends boast their status as Fair Trade Certified, United States Department of Agriculture Organic Certified, and Rainforest Alliance Certified, according to Barnie’s website.
The Starbucks-brand coffee, offered and brewed by Bookmark Cafe in prior years, is not officially Fair Trade Certified, except for its Pike Place Roast and Espresso Roast blends.
The incorporation of the new coffee company has added to the variety of brands on campus and is also a local option. Barnie’s headquarters is located less than one mile from campus.
“I honestly like Barnie’s way better than the Starbucks coffee. I just got so used to [Starbucks coffee], and I feel like I just didn’t like it as much, but now the new coffee flavors are so good,” said Anna Voiku (‘23).
“It just tastes more like real coffee,” said Saffron Pollard (‘23). “Starbucks is more like a fast -food version of coffee.”
For anyone still wanting on-campus Starbucks-brand coffee, Bush Cafe will continue serving Starbucks beverages.
Cristina Cabanilla, director of Dining Services, said, “Our intention was not to change the Starbucks brand, but to add another coffee option for the college community. Many people still love Starbucks, and they can still get it at Bush Cafe—it is not going away.”
In addition to the change in brands, students can also expect minor changes in price. For those who drink tea instead of coffee, they can expect a 25 cent increase in beverage prices compared to last semester.
Barnie’s also introduces a new selection of flavors, as a variety of specialty coffee blends are added to the menu.
“We will have a special blend every week throughout the semester, which we do not currently have with the Starbucks brand,” Cabanilla said. “In addition, we are not only offering the regular brewed coffee, but also the trendy cold brew and nitro cold brew.”
Bookmark Cafe’s hours of operation, as well as its full menu, can be found at dining.rollins.edu.
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