COUGAR GROUNDS FARM-TO-CAMPUS

Out with the old, in with the brew.

Beloved student-run coffeehouse Cougar Grounds has a new home, and we’ve got the tea. In its previous life inside the Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership, the café was cramped and dimly lit, and during the dragging months of the pandemic, the future of the student-favorite spot looked dim as well.

That was until August 2022, when the shop moved next to the Eric’s Club Center for Student Success, nearly doubling its previous footprint to support a much-bolstered customer base— with “Cougaristas” serving 100200 customers per hour.

The space, which has quickly become a campus hot spot, is filled with natural light and has plenty of seating for students and guests to stay, sip and study as they please. The energy at Cougar Grounds is as inspiring as the coffee is delicious. It’s also the first university coffeehouse in the country run by students, giving the Cougaristas an even bigger claim to fame. Their work at Cougar Grounds is part of a corollary education class where Hilton College students learn about small-business operations, marketing and sales and developing new products. Cheers to that!

A fresh take on campus dining.

The University of Houston is keeping its dining options fresh with the UH Farmers Market, which offers students, staff and faculty a chance to shop for locally sourced and produced food items without leaving campus.

The market runs every second Wednesday of the month during the fall and spring semesters, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on the Student Center North lawn. Past vendors have included local farms specializing in microgreens and fresh produce as well as local businesses such as Metanoia Coffee Roasters, which brews roasts from around the world, and My French Croissant, which sells both ready-to-eat and ready-to-bake pastries made with ingredients sourced from France. Student-owned businesses make an appearance too—like Lala Loveables, which sells handmade crocheted earrings, hats, décor and more. UH students, staff and faculty can even use Cougar Cash to purchase items.

Stop By

What: UH Farmers Market

When: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. every second Wednesday of the month

Where: Student Center North lawn