Over 200 people stopped to sample coffee, kombucha and pastries at the newly remodeled Market at Café Jennie in the Cornell Store Thursday afternoon. The market, previously known for its specialty food and Peet’s coffee, is now the first location on campus to offer Nitro coffee, cold brew coffee and three flavors of kombucha on tap.
“We wanted to create a unique coffee-bar experience serving Peet‘s Nitro and cold brew to folks that have not had the exciting experience,” said Meng-Wei Hsu, senior operations manager for the Ag Quad and Coffee Shops.
According to the operations managers, both the cold brew and nitro cold brew coffee are made from the same Peet’s coffee bean, but nitro cold brew is poured into a keg, infused with nitrogen and pushed through a pressurized valve. This creates a smooth, rich, liquid with a foam top, similar to a draft beer. The nitro cold brew is the most expensive option for purchase, but there is no ice needed, so you get more of the product for your money than other iced coffees.
Students circulated the space, sampling drinks as well as various pastry items such as peanut butter bars, seven layer bars, cheese and crackers and cinnamon swirl bread. The hibiscus flavored kombucha and the cinnamon bread seemed to be a crowd favorite.
Stephanie Ellis, senior dining manager, said most of the product lines existed previously, such as Peet’s coffee and the Champlain chocolates. However the remodel expanded both lines, and the larger goal of the remodel was to merge the Market and Café Jennie into one upscale café experience, where you can buy unique products.
“We just wanted to make it so it felt like it was coming together. For a little bit, it did feel separated. But again, adding this to it … we’re doing what we do best. The staff really does a great job with Peet’s coffee,” Ellis said.
Students seemed to enjoy the new products and the new space.
“I’m always looking for food on central [campus] when I’m studying, and having more options is a thing I appreciate,” Charlotte Féquière-Esser ’21 told The Sun.
Alex Siskovic ’21 seemed to agree, saying “I didn’t know this was being remodeled, so this is a great surprise.”
The Market and Café Jennie both take Big Red Bucks, even for the tap beverages, and will soon be available on the GET food website, allowing students to order food or beverages online and skip waiting in line.
In addition to its their drinks on tap, the Market, which has always been an extension of Café Jennie, also has sandwiches and wraps, available for purchase, as well as locally sourced peanut butter, nuts, chocolates and honey. While other cafés on campus serve Starbucks and Finger Lakes coffee, Café Jennie and the Market is the only location on campus in partnership with the Peet’s Coffee chain due to contractual reasons.
Hsu seemed optimistic about the special atmosphere that the remodeled Market will bring to the Cornell Store.
“You can have lunch or a sandwich with friends [at Café Jennie] … you can have a more private conversation here [at the Market], have a cup of coffee, have a cup of kombucha on the high top [bar] … you feel that different setting here,” he said. “We want a unique, niche environment. [The Market] has an elegant identity to it that’s different from anywhere else.”