Coffee 'spots' bubble up on campus

By BRENT CUNNINGHAM
Reporter Staff

Still drinking coffee from a creaky old pot? A more exotic alternative may be closer than you think. Not counting the gourmet coffee available in hallway kiosks, UB has four locations that carry espresso, foam, mochas and syrups. A fifth location will open soon in the Undergraduate Library.

Robin Cornwell runs two of the four spots under the name "Metro Express," and she has contracted with the Faculty Student Association (FSA) to run the new cafe coming in the near future to the ground floor of the Oscar A. Silverman Undergraduate Library in Capen Hall.

In addition to Cornwell's services, there is a coffee bar on the 10th floor of Goodyear Hall on the South Campus and a Starbuck's across from the Student Union on the North Campus.

The coffee spots include:

- Metro Express, North Campus: Located in the atrium on the ground floor of Park Hall, this centrally located cafe features espresso drinks, hot chocolate, Twining teas, baked goods and stir-sticks that are actually uncooked fettuccini (for the environmentally-conscious). Chairs and tables are spread throughout the atrium. Cornwell buys freshly roasted coffee beans from Premier Gourmet in Buffalo and baked goods from A Sweet Ending in North Java. She serves from 7:45 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday.

- Metro Express, South Campus: Located in the lobby of the Biomedical Education Building, Cornwell's second cart offers the same products as the first. The location is bright, airy and comfortable. It is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

- Goodyear 10, South Campus: Run by Mike Hodge on behalf of the FSA, Goodyear 10 offers espresso, regular and flavored coffee, candy, Celestial Seasoning teas and baked goods. It features unobstructed views of Buffalo to the east and west, and comfortable chairs and couches in a library-like atmosphere. Their coffee is supplied by McCullagh. Students, staff and faculty can read, drink and eat from 3 p.m. to midnight seven days a week.

- Starbucks, North Campus: The most visible gourmet coffee vendor on campus, Starbucks is also the most popular. It features espresso drinks, Frappuccinos, Infusia teas and baked goods. Twice a week in the early evening, usually on Tuesday and Thursday, Starbucks offers live music free of charge. They take great pride in their coffee beans, carefully selected from around the world and roasted in Pennsylvania. Their hours are from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 6:30 a.m. to midnight Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m. to midnight Saturday and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday.