By Emily Hawxwell
Snacks, fruit, and muffins — along with the new chicken sandwiches — are on display at the Peace Café. The new café is now located on the second floor of Belk, where Bowlful used to be.
Photo by: Emily Hawxwell
The convenience of going downstairs in the library to grab a coffee during a hard study session is gone, as Peace Café has moved to the second floor of Belk. But are the updates worth the extra walk?
How the Peace Café came to be
Starting this spring, the dining company Sodexo at William Peace University began plans for revamping the Peace Perk.
Ultimately, they came up with the Peace Cafe as it would have cost them a total of $25,000 to renovate and upgrade the old Peace Perk location. This includes a new refrigeration display, ice machine, reach-in freezer, and additional storage shelving according to Alex Strickler, Marketing Coordinator for Pacer Dining.
The new space also offers a wider range of meal options thanks to better kitchen access and additional equipment. Its closer proximity to the main dining hall makes food transport easier and helps reduce traffic by providing a second full-service food location on campus.
What’s on the menu
The menu still includes Starbucks beverages, muffins, and pastries, but has expanded to include Pop’s signature fried chicken sandwich, rice bowls similar to those offered at Bowlful, and a variety of other hot items such as flatbreads, paninis, quesadilla-style wraps, and more as the year goes on. Breakfast options include biscuit and muffin sandwiches available for grab-and-go during the first 30 to 60 minutes of operation, with made-to-order items starting around 8:30 a.m. From 11 a.m. until close, the full menu becomes available according to Strickler.
Student feedback
The location change has sparked strong opinions among students.
“You had multiple options on both ends of campus, and now it’s been put into one place,” said Dustin Williamson, a sophomore. “It’s harder for students who have stuff in the library, like classes or if they need to study there, and so it’s just a lot less convenient that way… I think it’s really inconvenient.”
Some athletes complain they are sore from practice, and they barely have the energy to go downstairs to the peace perk, let alone walk across campus just to get their coffee.
Strickler, who has been part of this change, acknowledged that change can be frustrating but hopes students will warm up to it over time.
“I can think of multiple cases in my life when something has changed, and I was used to, like, ‘why did this get changed? I was very happy with how it was. This is silly while we’re doing this.’ And then I can also reflect back to that same story, realized a couple months later that I was actually happier after that chance get got made.”
But not all feedback has been negative. Some students appreciate having a centralized food hub.
“It’s all in one spot now, so I don’t have to, like, you know, go to the library and then go to Belk and, like, go back and forth,” said Miles Soza, a senior. “And you’re able to use your meal swipes.”
The most common praise is how students can use their meal swipes. With one swipe of the card, you can get an entree, a bottled drink, and a side of your choice. Students without a meal plan can also purchase this bundle with debit or credit.
A hub for students, not just food
The pacer dining staff’s goal was also to create a new space for students to gather and fellowship.
“We want it to be a true campus space that has meetings and student groups come to and commuters feel welcome there,” said Strickler. “There’s the Pacer Hub, and we want it to become that — a hub space outside of just the dining hall.”
What’s next for the old Peace Perk
There isn’t a student in sight at the old Peace Perk location, which used to be crowded in the mornings.
Photo by: Emily Hawxwell
The now-empty space raises questions about its future. Sodexo no longer manages the location, as ownership has been returned to the university for repurposing. Strickler said Sodexo is open to assisting if the university reaches out.
Students who spend time in Finch for classes and study sessions hope refreshments will return in some form.
“I do like the idea of students making their own drinks, or even having that option to make their own coffee,” Soza said.
“Just, like, having a little coffee bar, or the vending machines, or the coffee dispensers they had,” said Alexandra Valentin, a sophomore.
Students may help name the new café
Once the Peace Café is fully established, Strickler hopes to involve students in choosing its permanent name. One idea is to host a renaming contest through Instagram Stories, using bracket-style voting.
The winner could receive prizes such as a $50 gift card and free drinks for a week. However, if students are content with the current name, the contest may not be necessary.
Open conversation with sodexo
Both Strickler and Terry Ratliff, general manager for Sodexo Dining, want students to feel comfortable sharing feedback.
“We really welcome students to come and talk to either one of us if they have questions, because we’re the ones who can give them the answers,” Ratliff said. “We truly want to make sure this is the best experience for our students that we can have. So in order to make it the best, we need to know everybody’s opinion.”