The Davenport Coffee Lounge, or the Dav, as it is referred to by many of its loyal customers, is set to move to the new School of International Service building from its current location at the end of the spring semester.
Rebecca Regan, the manager of the lounge, said moving will help the Dav maintain its connection with SIS when the school moves to the new building.
“The Davenport has always been associated with SIS,” she said. “It’s been a haven for students. It’s always been a symbol. I think they wanted to keep it connected with the school.”
However, the move is raising some questions by customers and staff about whether the ambiance of the Dav can be replicated in the new space. The Dav’s marble coffee tables were once the altar of the Methodist church which previously used the space, and the door is reminiscent of its past as the entranceway to the church.
Jane Dempsey, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences who says she visits the Dav three to four times a week, said she is concerned about the move. She said she visits the coffee lounge for the atmosphere. DAV
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As for maintaining the atmosphere, Regan said there are plans to take the map, historic tables and some of the books to the new location. She added that the employees are also hoping the door will be taken over, but obstacles such as the sheer weight threatens whether that will became a reality.
Carolyn Wilson, a senior in CAS and the School of Public Affairs, said she is indifferent to the move.
“I don’t come to the Dav often because there’s no place to sit,” she said. “We would be losing the historical basis of the Davenport being an old location since it was a Methodist Church. It’s kind of sad, but if the new Dav is bigger that would be a positive.”
Regan said an improvement of the Dav in its new location is more seating space.
“The new place is going to be more efficient with simple stuff like the line,” she said. “There’s going to be two entrances, an entrance from SIS and one from outside. There’s going be outdoor patio space, which will provide more seating but we don’t want a big space.”
Alexandra Langton, a barista at the Dav, said the new location will be able to better serve customers.
“We’ll be able have space to grind our own beans and sell coffee by pound,” she said, an option not available in the current location.
About 20 to 25 people will be able to be seated in the new lounge, according to Regan. There will also be new coffee-making equipment, including a new espresso machine.
“There’s going to be much more space as far as individual seats go for people to sit down but the space itself will be able to hold relatively the same amount of people,” Regan said.
The new Dav location will also be taking on some of the eco-friendly qualities typified by the new SIS building, she said.
“A really cool thing is that the water that’s going to be circulated through our espresso machine and our coffee brewer is all going to be solar heated,” Regan said. The power will be provided by one of the many solar panels on the roof of the building, one of which is exclusively for the Dav.”
The new location is expected to be fully operational by this summer. While there will be some changes, those in control of planning out the new lounge recognize the important elements that keep AU students coming back.
“We’re going to keep it as much like this Davenport as we can,” Reagan said. “It’s still going to be student run, and be hopefully the same feel. It’s what we’re going for.”
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