Over the summer, renovations to the Blink introduced all the benefits of Starbucks, while other menu items were altered or discontinued.
In addition to the plethora of Starbucks drinks came redone tabletops, new furniture, and a fresh coat of paint on everything but the ceiling. Darker tones were incorporated into the design, and more recently, new lights were strung across the ceiling.
Traditional tortillas were substituted for herb tortillas, while combos, pizzas, milkshakes, mozzarella sticks, smoothies, and hummus wraps were cut from the menu.
Mary Cait Thomas ’21, who has worked at the Blink since spring of last year, said she realizes customers may dislike changes to the Blink, as students often expect to purchase certain foods, only to find them discontinued. However, Supervisor Taylor Shirley says much of the food was discontinued because it wasn’t selling.
“The only thing price-wise that has changed is Starbucks,” she said.
“If only one person a night gets mozzarella sticks, or a pizza, and you have to buy a certain amount every week, it’s just a pain, and it doesn’t make any sense,” Thomas said.
Thomas said students have complained about the lack of combos. However, Shirley explained that several students would request drink options besides soda. The dining staff’s solution was to end the combos, a decision which only cost buyers an additional 40 cents. According to Shirley, hummus wraps, no longer sold at the Blink, were not selling last year, but are available in the Great Hall. Similarly, mozzarella sticks sold in low quantities, and would often inconveniently explode in the fryer, Shirley said. Thomas reminded us that change is part of life, saying she believes people will grow accustomed to the new Blink.
In an online survey about the current state of the café, 59% of participants’ answers fell under the category of Starbucks when asked to list their favorite change or food item. Answers related to snack foods such as chocolate-covered blueberries, Kind bars, and Peeps slightly outnumbered students’ love for wraps or quesadillas. Design and ambiance changes composed the smallest category.
In one response, Marie Bowen ’20 wrote, “I am so thankful for the new atmosphere and decorations in the Blink. Everything looks classy and trendy.” She added her appreciation of late-night snacks and conversations, calling the Blink “a neat place for community.”
Julia Smith ’21 commented that she was “disappointed by the switch to Starbucks,” explaining her sadness that the Blink no longer supported Stone Cup, a local business.
Emily Pritchett ’21 expressed similar concerns to those of Smith, writing “Starbucks is fun, but it isn't the Covenant Blink, so it isn't as traditional.”
When asked which food item they missed the most, over half of the question’s 41 respondents selected smoothies. 14.6% gave non-answers, with mozzarella sticks and milkshakes tying for third place at 9.8%.
In her response, Anne Miller ’20 criticized the expensive price of Starbucks drinks, writing that she has always appreciated the cheap comfort food and drinks of the Blink, and that her money ran out much quicker than usual this semester.
“I think everyone was happy to have everything be lower quality because it was cheap.” Miller mentioned Starbucks being five minutes away, writing that there is no need for an additional Starbucks on campus. “I haven’t heard of any students who have been glad for the change.”
When survey participants were asked for new menu suggestions, the most popular wish was to revive smoothies. However, since the installation of Starbucks, Covenant’s campus is prohibited from serving other drinks.
“We’re an exclusive Starbucks campus,” said Director of Dining Services Shawn Lynn, pointing out that the Great Hall’s coffee, Seattle’s Best, is also a product of Starbucks.
“It wasn’t like last year where we could make up our own menu items,” he said.
Besides smoothies, some participants suggested the inclusion of healthier alternatives. Other answers included nachos, chicken salad, additional wrap flavors, pita chips and hummus, and inexpensive chocolate options.
When asked about renovations, Lynn said that last year, the Blink “wasn’t a destination where people were coming to hang out.” As a result, the dining staff decided the café would be more appealing to students with the addition of Starbucks.
“People are coming here for meetings, people are coming here to study, people are coming here just to hang out way more than last year,” he said.
While the cafe’s renovation may seem complete, Lynn says that even more changes are being considered, with next summer possibly ushering in a more spacious bar-top and additional booths.
“We’re always open to new menu ideas and new special ideas for sure,” Lynn says of the food. “We’re here for the students, and I want students to feel comfortable coming to us.” Lynn says his office, located behind the cashier stand, is always open for students with questions, comments, or concerns. Additionally, if students are concerned about food on any given day, they should come talk to someone, no matter how busy they may look. “We can’t do what we don’t know.”
Shirley says the dining staff would like to see more student engagement with the Blink. She explained ideas for a karaoke night, as well as the addition of table-top games. Lastly, she mentioned that students should not be afraid to request their favorite song.
“As long as it’s appropriate, I’ll play it.”