In February of 2012, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi opened an on-campus Starbucks. Since then, it has been a staple at TAMU-CC, creating a relaxed environment for students to study, faculty to get together for a cup of coffee, or those who just want to unwind after class or work.

This summer on July 5, TAMU-CC began the process of renovating the campus’ Starbucks to keep it up to date with Starbucks’ standards. Island Waves interviewed Director of University Services, Susan Layton, to talk about what changes are being made to the store. 

“For example, the countertops are lower. So even the barista that’s making your white chocolate mocha, they can still make eye contact. So now they’ve lowered the countertop so that we can actually have a better customer connection and better interactions with the guests that come to Starbucks and the lighter wood and the lighter colors, the bright colors that will be incorporated into the artwork. It makes it a more inviting space,” Crawford said. 

Islander Dining’s work with Starbucks to create a welcoming environment even incorporates elements of the Island and Corpus Christi. One of the most prominent parts of the revamped cafe will be the artwork, which will pay homage to the local wildlife. 

“We followed Starbucks’ lead on this and they even went as far as to do some research about our area. So the artwork will reflect the focus on the bird population, the diversity in the bird population. The fact that this is a migratory path, so a lot of the artwork is focused around that to keep our location relevant with and with the Corpus Christi area,” Crawford said.

This renovation is not only something Islander Dining is doing for itself, but it’s a procedure they have to follow for every franchise business of a national brand located on campus. The new location will have to follow certain standards based on a license agreement to maintain the signature “Starbucks feel.”

To save the best piece of information for last, Layton and Crawford were so excited to share what they feel will be the best part of these changes. After the first week of being reopened, the campus location will offer the option of ordering through the Starbucks app. 

“One week after we open that store, we will now offer mobile ordering through the Starbucks app. You’ll be able to buy gift cards, you’ve always been able to redeem your gift cards, but you were able to purchase gift cards at our store,” Crawford said.

Students have been buzzing about the renovations since they started in early July,  sharing their ideas of what the new and improved cafe will look like and what changes they hope to see. Sophomore marine biology major Cassidy Robbins has one main change she wants the cafe to implement. “I don’t know what changes are being made, but I hope there will be more sitting places,” Robbins said.

Islander Dining hopes to have Starbucks open back up before the beginning of the fall semester, but it looks like it may not be complete until a week or so after classes start. Until then, you can still get your fix at the Starbucks Kiosk in the Faculty Center.