Students have a greater variety of dining options after last week’s opening of Ritazza Cafe in the lobby of the Art and Design Building.
University officials say the cafe has been a popular success, but students have mixed feelings.
The cafe offers a variety of coffees, pastries, breakfast croissants and sandwiches.
Mark Kraner, director of contracted auxiliary services, said the cafe is doing well and students seem to be enjoying it.
Kraner said employees are still in training and that auxiliary service and Ritazza employees are looking for ways to handle high volume times, especially between classes.
Jared Champagne, Ritazza manager, said he has received a lot of positive feedback from students who think the cafe is more easily accessible than the Union.
Mark Thomas, landscape architecture senior, said he is in the Design Building everyday for class and the cafe is a convenient place for him to get something to eat.
There are four coffee shops on campus with two more in planning.
Thomas said he does not think the newest addition to campus’ dining options is excessive because a place like the Design Building has many students who spend the entire day there.
“Landscape architecture students are here everyday for every class,” said Thomas, who was trying a pesto chicken and spinach ciabatta sandwich for lunch Monday.
Carrie Causey, English senior who was buying a cup of coffee Monday afternoon, said she works across the street in Johnston Hall and the cafe is close to her office.
But Causey said her roommate, who is an architecture major and spends a lot of time in the Design Building, thinks the cafe is noisy and takes up too much space.
Causey said sometimes the lines are long and back up to the double doors of the library in the morning when she goes to get a cup of coffee.
Nico Zhou, interior design sophomore, said Monday was his first trip to the cafe, where he tried a latte even though he is not generally a coffee fan.
Zhou said he has seen many of his classmates with food and drinks from the cafe, so he decided to try it.