New shake cafe opens in renovated Recreation and Wellness Center

By ZACK HOCHBERG and CAT MURPHY

Quinnipiac University celebrated the launch of a shake cafe on the Mount Carmel campus on Jan. 28, amid the grand opening of the recently constructed Recreation and Wellness Center.

Founded in 2011, Shake Smart has expanded to more than three dozen college campuses nationwide, according to the company’s website.

The menu features a variety of protein shakes made from a protein powder and milk base. The station offers chocolate, vanilla and cookies and cream flavored whey protein powder as well as a plant-based protein powder substitute. The cafe also offers several milk base options, including low-fat, nonfat, oat and almond milk.

The cafe also serves coffee and tea, oatmeal, nut butter sandwiches and several blended and non-blended acai bowls. Many of the menu items, including several smoothie options, are customizable and made-to-order.

However, large crowds in the store’s opening days have prevented some students from being able to try the choices.

Although sophomore occupational therapy major Amanda Salomon said she has not had the opportunity to try Shake Smart due to long lines, she said the menu appeared enticing at first glance.

“It has a variety of healthy options and is located super conveniently by opening up inside the new gym,” Salomon said. “I love that it’s not just smoothies, but also oatmeals and protein bowls.”

Although several students expressed frustrations with the lengthy wait times, others said the long lines seem to move relatively quickly.

“They’ve been long, but it seems to go pretty quickly, considering how many people are waiting,” said first-year nursing major Emily Whitters.

Some students criticized the order process, which requires customers to place a mobile order on the Shake Smart website or submit their orders on storefront self-service tablets before paying at the register.

“I didn’t know I had to wait in the line,” said Lara Matrone, a sophomore psychology major. “The setup of it was just very confusing.”

However, Matrone also said she appreciated the convenience of the new shake station.

“I used to make protein shakes in my dorm,” Matrone said. “So now, coming to the gym, then right after coming to get a shake is really useful.”

Other students said they enjoyed the cafe’s environment.

“I like the aesthetic in here,” said Gabrielle Grillo, a sophomore psychology major. “It’s a good place to sit and do your work.”

“I love coming here after working out,” Whitters said. “It’s almost like a Starbucks kind of vibe.”

Anthony Rossi, a junior finance major, said he welcomed the addition of “something new and something unique to the campus.”

“If you can get more people out of the library and out of the cafe and somewhere else, I think it’s a good use of space,” Rossi said.

The Recreation and Wellness Center was the first major completion of the master facilities plan announced in January 2021.

As a part of the renovated Recreation and Wellness Center’s grand opening, the university also hosted an opening celebration on Jan. 26, entitled RecWell After Dark.

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However, Filardi also wrote that “new vehicular traffic routes have been created to allow access to various parts of the Mount Carmel campus” and directed students, faculty and staff looking to park in the Hilltop Lot, the College of Arts and Sciences Lot or outside of the facilities building to use the service entrance behind the CAS buildings.

The construction site has also been fenced off “to restrict foot traffic from anyone who’s not a construction worker,” Filardi wrote.

As a result, the pathway connecting Bobcat Way to the CAS buildings through Pine Grove is closed to pedestrian traffic. Students, faculty and staff can access the CAS buildings from Bobcat Way via the pathway behind The Commons residence hall.

Marcus Ferreira, a sophomore computer science major, credited the university with publicizing the route between Bobcat Way and the CAS buildings but characterized the lengthy detour as cumbersome.

Whitters added that the new station had the climate of a coffee shop.

I planned my classes around the old commute,” Leduc said. “I knew that there was going to be construction, but I wasn’t expecting it to be this prominent and cause this many problems.”

Tom Ellett, chief experience officer, wrote in a Jan. 19, email to Leduc that the South Quad residence hall and the two new academic buildings would take approximately 18 months and two years to complete, respectively.

“There could possibly be a walkway added between the projects once the footings and building core is established (in) 12 months,” Ellett wrote in the email communication Leduc provided to the Chronicle.

John Morgan, associate vice president of public relations, confirmed on Jan. 31, that “this is something that is being considered.” alongside The Commons residence hall.

The event featured free food, T-shirts and a variety of student-organized games and activities that utilized the new equipment and space, according to the university.

“I won’t make it to class if I don’t,” Leduc said, noting that taking the dirt path is a minute-and-a-half faster than the detour route. “I still will often be late, but I’d be later without it.”

Ferreira also said he has become accustomed to using the unofficial shortcut instead of the paved pathway.

“You’re clearly not supposed to walk there,” said Ferreira, who has a 15-minute window to commute from the CAS buildings to the CCE. “It’s not super pleasant, but I think it’s worth it because it’s quicker.”

Both Ferreira and Leduc characterized the hilly shortcut as unsafe, and Leduc described seeing students slip in the mud.

However, both students also pointed out safety issues associated with the lack of separation between the painted pedestrian pathway and oncoming vehicular traffic on Hilltop Road.

“It doesn’t feel very safe,” Ferreira said. “There’s just people, just because there’s no room, walking outside of the path.”

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“They do have enough signs up that I wasn’t really confused on how I was supposed to get there,” Ferreira said. “It’s definitely inconvenient, but it’s well-communicated.”

Sarah Leduc, a sophomore biomedical science major, also expressed frustration with the inconvenience of the new route.

“It’s been really tough, especially since

Leduc, who has a 10-minute window between classes to travel between the CAS buildings and the Center for Communications and Engineering, said she planned her class schedule last semester with a six-minute commute in mind. However, Leduc said the detour pathway has doubled her commute time and forced her to be late to class.

“I actually looked into seeing if I could move the class that was in CAS,” Leduc said. “(The professor’s) only section was right after, when I had another class in the same room, so I had no choice.”

Like many other students, Leduc said she has resorted to cutting through the grass

Leduc said she was most frustrated by the university’s seeming lack of consideration for its current student body.

“I think they care more about the students that will be coming in a few years and their money instead of our money and the students who are currently here,” Leduc said. “Right now, everyone that I’ve talked to about this feels very ignored.”