The Commons, The Cove, The Anchor and the coffee cart in Franz Hall now serve Starbucks coffee, rather than Nossa Familia coffee. (Scott Chia -- The Beacon)
By Elizabeth Vogel, Staff Writer -- vogel11@up.edu
When you went to your first class on Monday, you may have noticed something different about your morning cup of coffee. The Cove, the Commons, The Anchor and the coffee cart in Franz now serve Starbucks, instead of Nossa Familia — Bon Appétit's coffee vendor for the past three years. The switch from locally owned Nossa Familia coffee was a surprise for many people returning to campus.
"I'm really excited about it because I'm from the Seattle area, so it's like a little taste of home," senior Jessica Stacey said.
The decision to switch was discussed for a few months and finalized during the summer, with the student's best interests in mind, according to Kirk Mustain, Bon Appétit General Manager. Mustain said that he noticed a lot of students going off campus to buy Starbucks coffee.
"I go to Starbucks, I see who is in there," Mustain said.
Mustain described Starbucks as having better marketing support than Nossa Familia because it is a national brand. This quality will give students more value for every cup of coffee, according to Mustain.
Beginning in January students will also be able to purchase Starbucks specialty drinks, such as frappuccinos, at the campus locations.
Nossa Familia is a local brand founded in 2006 by two 2001 UP alumni: Augusto Dias Carneiro and Jason Lesh. The small company values Fair Trade, family business, and good coffee, according to their website, www.familyroast.com.
During Bite on the Bluff, Caneiro said, "I was shocked and saddened by the decision."
Caneiro is fond of UP. He studied engineering and was an RA is both Christie and Shipstad Halls. Since graduating, he has returned to campus to give presentations in the School of Business, sharing his experience of starting a business with UP students.
He regrets the fact that Nossa Familia will no longer be able fund its annual UP scholarship. Nossa Familia provided UP with $2,500 in scholarship money as part of its charitable donations. However, with the loss of its UP account, the company plans to refocus its giving on the charitable causes of its clients, according to Carneiro.
Despite UP's move to Starbucks, Carneiro does not plan to sever his ties with UP.
"My goal right now is to stay involved and hopefully come back in one or two or three years," he said.
Nossa Familia has plans for growth outside UP's campus. It recently partnered with Ethos Music Center and opened a retail location, on North Killingsworth Street. And Carneiro continues to look ahead.
"Our next big step is to open a local roaster," he said.
Brand of coffee make much of a difference for Freshman Alyssa Opland.
"I like Starbucks, but I think all coffee kind of tastes the same," she said.
Junior Jennifer Wade said this will not change the way she gets her caffeine kick.
"I always bought it on campus. And I always will. Its just convenient," Wade said.
Other students may choose to purchase their coffee on campus because of the switch, not in spite of it.
"That will make things easier because I won't have to go off campus to get my Starbucks," Stacey said.
While students may be happy to have Starbucks on campus, the switch was painful for Carneiro.
"We're still a small business, but stable. We're thriving. It's really more of a psychological loss. But it is never fun to lose an account," he said.
