Students, faculty members flock to new BRBean Café

It only took Facilities Management and Dining Services workers about $25,000 to transform an awkwardly shaped custodial closet into a popular snack shop and meeting hub.

BRBean Café, which sits in the atrium between the Bioscience Research and Biology-Psychology buildings, stemmed from faculty and student requests for a place to meet and eat in between classes and research studies without having to rush to Stamp Student Union. Although officials initially estimated the café would cost $150,000 to build, the departments were able to significantly cut costs for equipment and counters by making it smaller than originally planned and using less equipment.

“Dining Services was very creative in using up the space, so it’s got every square foot trying to sell something.” said biology Chairman Gerald Wilkinson, who works in the building. “It came out actually much better than I anticipated.”

In the three weeks since the café’s opening, it has averaged $500 per day from roughly 200 customers. Although faculty and students said they hope to see its hours extended from the current 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Dining Services officials said they would wait and see whether the cafe’s success continues before implementing longer hours.

Since most of the faculty and staff members in the buildings were strangers to each other, three faculty members — Wilkinson, cell biology and molecular genetics Chairwoman Norma Andrews and psychology Chairman Thomas Wallsten — along with Brian Brevig, the facilities manager of the building, pushed for the creation of a café. They hoped not only to have a place for faculty to buy food in between meetings and classes but also to have a centralized area where people could have coffee and socialize.

“Right now there aren’t that many opportunities for people to run into each other unless you just happen to be on the same floor,” Wilkinson said.

After six months of construction, they saw their idea come to fruition. But before the café was complete, Wilkinson, Andrews and Wallsten held a contest between their departments to name it. BRBean ultimately beat out “Significant Grindings” and “Grounds for Thought” with 86 votes.

Starr Chen, a junior psychology major who reviewed the café on Yelp!, said being able to go to BRBean has changed her daily routine.

“It’s really convenient to be able to stop by between classes that I have in Bio-Psych and Bio Research,” she said. “Instead of trying to run to Stamp during a 10-minute break, I could just go to the BRBean and get a soda or a bag of chips, or even a sandwich or a bagel.”

Molly Brown, a junior psychology major, has also enjoyed the café.

“I think it’s great; I think it’s so convenient, especially when you’re rushing to class,” she said.

Although many students just stop by the café on their way to class, Wilkinson said he hopes it eventually creates a sense of community in a once disjointed building.

“It’s more sort of a central point that would pull people together,” he said.

gray@umdbk.com

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