September 30, 2004
Starbucks opens new location in Purdue Memorial Union
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A full-service Starbucks Coffee opened for business in Purdue Memorial Union this week, bringing for the first time on campus its menu of everything from cappuccinos to brewing equipment.
Other places in the Union have served Starbucks coffee before, but now diners can find all the items they would at a Starbucks store, said Gary Goldberg, the Union's dining services director.
"We chose to add Starbucks because it was something the students wanted," Goldberg said.
The store offers specialty coffee items such as cappuccinos, caffe lattes, café mocha and frappuccinos, and novelty items such as music and coffee makers. Hours are 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The Union has purchased the license from Starbucks for the right to the store, Goldberg said. Starbucks supplies the training, equipment and support, and the Union will hire staff and handle and everyday customer service.
"It's important to us to own and operate it ourselves so that we can have the flexibility to work within the university calendar," Goldberg said. "We view all of our operations as part of a whole, and by managing it ourselves, we have the opportunity to cross-train our staff in multiple locations."
All employees were hired through Union dining services, including a supervisor with previous Starbucks experience.
The Purdue Memorial Union offers a wide variety of services under one roof. Approximately 14,000 people pass through the building on any given day, according to Union officials.
Putting in a Starbucks is a way to capture some of those people because of brand recognition and draw, said Carol Houston, marketing manager for the Union.
"We've been wanting to try this for some time now," Houston said. "Starbucks is a way to make the Union a destination rather than a pass-through."
The addition of another specialty coffee shop in an area that already has several similar stores could be a good thing for those other stores, said James Oakley, a Krannert School of Management assistant professor of marketing.
"Adding a name brand to the area may result in the improvement of business in the other stores," Oakley said. "As more people discover Starbucks, they will be more likely to drop in at the other coffee shops."
Starbucks Corp. is a worldwide retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee, with more than 7,500 retail locations in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific Rim.
A qualified high-volume/high-traffic retail or foodservice operation can own and operate a Starbucks licensed store. Examples include large hotels, hospitals and college or university campus environments.
Writer: Maggie Morris, (765) 494-2432, news.writer@purdue.edu
Sources: Carol Houston, (765) 494-8974, crhouston@purdue.edu
Gary Goldberg, (765)494-8939, gcgoldberg@purdue.edu
James Oakley, (765) 494-4445, joakley@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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