Cyber Cafe: Stone Creek joins legacy

cyber cafe:

Stone Creek joins legacy

The new Cyber Cafe features several new signs and a fresh coat of light-yellow paint.

When students walked into the Cyber Cafe in Gerhardinger Hall at the beginning of the school year they were greeted by plain walls and empty display cases, with the absence of a food and beverage provider. This came as a shock for many, with that shock renewing each passing day with no news or updates. Last spring, students were still able to purchase items from the Cyber Cafe, such as sandwiches and coffee that were provided through Colectivo Coffee, a local coffee chain that had been there for years.

Whispers circulated that a Starbucks was going into the space, but rumors faded when Stone Creek Coffee-branded signs suddenly appeared at the beginning of October along with a fresh coat of paint in the company’s color scheme. There was no shortage of questions pertaining to the Cyber Cafe after this reveal, however. Students wondered, “Why was Stone Creek Coffee chosen? Why didn’t Colectivo remain in the space, or why wasn’t Starbucks introduced to the school?”

Answers may lie in the switch from one catering service to another. During the summer before the 2021-2022 school year, Mount Mary forged a contract with American Dining Creations,the new catering company now responsible for all things having to do with food service on campus. Therefore, a change in vendor for the Cyber Cafe was inevitable.

According to Pat Holmes, district manager of American Dining Creations, “When we were evaluating Cyber Café, our onsite manager met with several students to discuss local coffee vendors. The overwhelming vote was for Stone Creek.”

Holmes offered his endorsement as well. “Stone Creek is a socially responsible company that believes in the commitment to the environment, as well as a holistic approach for doing the best for the world. They regularly audit the environmental strengths and weaknesses of their operation.

On top of beverages, Stone Creek offers pastries that are kept in a glass display case. These are the signature roast options that Stone Creek Coffee carries.

“We’ve had a really good start here on campus.” - Evan Gritzon

Since they are a local company, we are fortunate to have support in the area.”

Stone Creek Coffee’s goals in helping the community and bringing awareness to certain issues that lie outside of simple coffee production closely align with those of Mount Mary’s own mission statement.

The establishment of Stone Creek Coffee as a concrete part of the Cyber Cafe is still a work in progress.

“We’ve had a really good start here on campus. It definitely started out slow but we’re easing into having everything that we are going to eventually do down here; people are starting to notice that this is open and that we have coffee,” Evan Gritzon, Stone Creek Coffee barista, said. “I think people are enjoying Stone Creek and what we have to offer so far. (Business) has been building up over the last several weeks. We’re looking to expand hours a bit and in a couple weeks we’re gonna have a student who is going to stay here til seven for people that are coming here later for night classes. However, for the most part, it’s enough work for one person.”

Relating to improvements to the menu, Holmes said, “We (Stone Creek Coffee) will have regular marketing updates related to the holidays and special drinks.” Stone Creek Coffee is an alteration to the scenery of the Cyber Cafe, much like the incoming flurries of snow that will blanket the ground.

Regardless of the selection process, students can now visit the Cyber Cafe to get a quick cup of coffee before their next class, just in time before the semester comes to an end.