Coffee will soon be returning to University College’s Junior Common Room.
Diabolos’, the University College staple, is set to reopen in late January through a joint venture between the University College Literary & Athletic Society (UCLit) and University College Food Services.
Eric Schwenger, who was elected UCLit president on October 17, cited getting Diabolos’ back on its feet as one of his major goals for the year.
The student governing body has partnered with UC Food Services to fund the coffee shop’s operations for the remainder of the semester.
The partnership will reportedly allow the UCLit to purchase supplies and coordinate schedules through Food Services.
The coffee shop, a student-run initiative, will present an inexpensive alternative to some other coffee shops on campus.
A UCLit job posting lists the start date for Diabolos’ baristas as January 19, with an end date of April 17.
Many students were surprised and disappointed to learn of the coffee shop’s closure in the fall semester. The closure left a “massive void [that] replaced the warmth and community brought to the JCR and the college at large,” says Schwenger.
Schwenger says the closure was the result of “transitional deficiencies” and annual turnovers, issues faced by many student organizations. He says the UCLit has worked on expediting the current system “to clean up the loose ends of the current transitional processes and implement a more cohesive framework.”
Schwenger says that, when open, students can expect to purchase food and beverages like those available at Howard Ferguson Dining Hall or Reznikoff’s Café.
Schwenger also says that Diabolos’ will continue to offer some of its “niche favourites that made [it] what it was.”
Part of the process of re-opening Diabolos’ is gauging which items sell better than others, and when business tends to peak.
Schwenger says the intention is to “cement Diabolos’ once and for all next September and ensure that this kind of thing will never happen again.”
