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Ashley PenberthyENG 111 BLMatt Weinkam24 September 2009Jump Start Studying at King CaféHave you ever found yourself frustrated with your study environment and wantedsomewhere new and relaxing? King Café is a typical study spot for many students. Locatedwithin King Library and right next to McGuffey Hall, it is the perfect place to pull up a chair, grab a nice cup of coffee or pastry and hit the books. It is very convenient for people thatmay need to quickly run up to the library to find a referencematerial. King Café has a unique appearance, cultural aspectand perspective from others. It has been a great “chill” spotsince it first opened November 15

, 2006 after the library wasnewly renovated.Teresa Baker, general manager of King Café who has been in the business for twenty-seven years and a part of King Café since it first opened, had a lot to say about the café. She of all people would know the grueling ins and outs of the business as she has to be there at a quarter to five each morning in order to be there for the fresh groceries to arrive, start setting up the delicart, coffee station, and making the fresh bakery. Baker made me aware that King Café is locatedwhere it is in order to catch the traffic of students. It is a great place for students to study after visiting the library. Coffee and nutrition are often associated with studying, so it was an extra plus.

King Café entrance

The location of a building is key to its success. In the case of King Café, it is the perfectstudy location. King Café is conveniently located within King Library. The café is a part of theuniversity, serving the community. Thefoundation of the building can tell you a lotabout the place. The café is in the basementof the library, where it serves as afoundation to the customers who frequent itto find solace, stimulation, and nutrition inits solid walls. As we all know when itcomes to people, it is wrong to “judge a book by its cover”, however, it seems like it is notapplicable in the case of a building or business. King Café has vibrant colored walls that aremaroon, green, and yellow. These colors add pizzazz to the environment and might even bringout the creative edge in people doing work here. There are a variety of tables to sit at, varying between, round, rectangular, high and low along with different colors. This once again adds tothe creative thinking environment and gives diversity to the customers who get to choose whatthey want rather than being forced to sit in a dull, boring atmosphere. The chairs are cushionedwhich brings comfort to customers enjoying their purchases while doing work. King Café alsohas tiled floor with designs on it. When asked why the café is decorated the way it is, Baker simply replied, “We try to go along with Starbucks’ colors”. King Café is not required todecorate the business according to Starbuck’s décor; however, it sells some Starbuck’s productswhich may draw even more people in if they associate the café with the popular, high profit business of Starbucks. The floor is tiled to help make the cleaning up process a lot simpler. If someone were to spill their drink or drop food, it could be mopped up in no time. Noises andsmells are unique in King Café. There are a variety of sounds depending on the time of day. At

one point, it is quieter as students are studying and professors are getting their work done while itis noisier at other points while students are collaborating on their work. The best time for a lessnoisy time at King Café would be between the opening hours at seven and nine in the morning.Thursdays begin the weekend for some students who do not have classes on Fridays, whichmakes it a lot less busy those nights as well. The sound of blenders and the register beeping arehowever constant since so many customers come in to make purchases. If you are the kind of person that needs a little extra noise while studying, the noise will be great for you. Otherwise, Isuggest you check out King Café at a less busy time such as Friday evenings.Coffee and pastries are often associated with an intellectual study environment. This is just a stereotype that maybe should be perceived the oppositeway in which an intellectual study environment is associatedwith food. This could be due to people being tired and needingthe coffee to stay awake and food to give them energy to keepgoing. Although King Café does attract a majority of studiousindividualsand not manytownies, it does not excludeanyone. A variety of peopleare regulars at the café. Teresa Baker, general manager of King Café stated, “We get usuals here who are typicallystudents who hit the library all of the time, students who arealways here, they become the constant faces that I recognize”.King Café seems to be associated with the set up of Borders,the bookstore. Although the library does not sell books likeBorders, they both conveniently have a nice study

A student mulitasking whileeating, reading the Miaminewspaper, working on hisMac laptop, and listening tomusic.A variety of fresh salads and bakery aremade and sold every day.