People are disappointed that the Starbucks in Gzowski College is not a “full” Starbucks – it is “we proudly brew.” This dialogue of disappointment, along with the survey results below, is one of the reasons why the conversation about having a Starbucks in the new Trent University Student Centre started.
The above survey was taken from the Consolation Report done on Feb. 12, 2015, available on the Student Centre website (trentu.ca/studentcentre/), under Stakeholder Consultations.
The following survey was facilitated by the TCSA and comprised of two questions. It was available on the TCSA Facebook page and on the TCSA website. It was advertised through face-to-face campus promotion, an article in Arthur (Issue 13) and via email to Trent levy groups and stakeholders. The survey was open from Jan. 4, at 9 a.m. to Jan 22, at 9 a.m., and had a total of 482 responses.
Question #1 asked: Would you like to see a full Starbucks in the new Student Centre?
Question #2 asked: If no, what would you like to see in the new Student Centre?
•36 per cent (51 out of 141 responses) of students who answered this question requested a different corporate entity as the food vendor in the new Student Centre.
•12 people requested a burger chain, such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s or A&W.
•14 people requested a Booster Juice.
•18 people requested a full (sandwich/soup serving) Tim Horton’s.
This feedback about Tim Horton’s has been passed on to Trent Food Services, lobbying for the Otonabee College Tim Horton’s to offer soups and sandwiches!
The remainder of responses to this question suggested either a local, independently operated or student-run café.
Other important pieces of information:
1) While we simultaneously approached local vendors and Starbucks, some local vendors did not express interest in being a coffee/food vendor in the new Student Centre, as they did not respond to our Request for Proposals (RFP).
The RFP was put in Peterborough Examiner, and copies of the RFP were personally dropped off by Mark Murdoch of Trent Food Services to the following local businesses:
Black Honey, Natas, The Planet, Ashburnham Ale House, Riley’s, the Olde Stone and Gerti’s.
2) This Starbucks will generate profit for both Trent University and the student association, helping to cover annual utility costs. Revenue will be split 50/50 between both parties, but Trent is covering the expense of acquiring the Starbucks licence. This is a win for students!
3) It is our goal to have this full Starbucks accept the Trent Meal Plan dollars and for employees (except for the manager position) to be Trent students.
On Jan. 29, the Trent Board of Governors voted to accept the financial responsibility of getting a Starbucks in the new Student Centre, pending agreement to the contract Starbucks puts forward.
Essentially, the decision of having a Starbucks in the Student Centre is not final until the university agrees on a contract with Starbucks.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact: studentcentre@trentcentral.ca