Café 100 made its debut yesterday in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center, a celebration that included speeches by Provost Paul Ludden, President R. Gerald Turner and special appearances by several “celebrity baristas.”
The celebrity baristas for the day included such Southern Methodist University personalities as Jennifer (J.J.) Jones, executive direct of student development and programs; William Tsutsui, dean of Dedman College; Jake Torres, student body president; and Lori White, vice president for student affairs, as well as several other integral SMU students.
Ludden said that these baristas would be able to “take their learning beyond the classroom and behind the counter to serve [guests of the grand opening].”
These baristas will be brewing up Starbucks Coffee, which is something that Andrew Conwell, president of Student Foundation, said was “long awaited.”
Speaking after Ludden, Turner said that Ludden is “a [coffee] addict” and that he “[knows] good coffee.”
“If you have a meeting with him at 3 p.m., he’s got coffee. If you have a meeting with him at 8 a.m., he’s got coffee,” Turner said, inducing laughter from the packed crowd inside the former Java City.
Turner said it was “great to have something that serves the students as well as the broader SMU community as something that kicks off this celebration,” mentioning that students had wanted a Starbucks on campus for a quite some time.
Michelle Pillars, a junior chemistry major, echoed the enthusiasm of Turner. “The support for Café 100 was astounding and a Starbucks will definitely be a great addition to the SMU campus,” she said.
Student Body Vice President Austin Prentice agreed, saying, “The opening of Café 100 provides a unique way of kicking off SMU’s centennial celebration!”
The official opening of Café 100 was inaugurated with what Turner called the “official analogous operation to ribbon cutting.” He, and several other members of the platform party, and the costumed Peruna, raised their Café 100 cups and said in unison, “Café 100: Good coffee.”
