Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on theeaglecoronavirusproject.com, a separate website created by Eagle staff at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in spring 2020. Articles from that website have been migrated to The Eagle’s main site and backdated with the dates they were originally published in order to allow readers to access them more easily.
American University’s on-campus coffee shops have always been more than just places to eat or drink for the AU community. On a normal fall day before classes moved online, you could usually find students gathered in The Dav in the School of International Service building or socializing in The Bridge Cafe, located in the Mary Graydon Center.
Despite the impact of the coronavirus on small businesses, The Dav and The Bridge have adapted to the changing circumstances and remain open this semester.
The Dav is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and The Bridge is operating Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Dav is offering its usual selection of popular drinks, including chais, mochas and iced vanilla lattes, with limited snack availability. Updates can be found on its Instagram page.
The Bridge also has its normal selection available, with some new additions to the menu, such as bagel sandwiches that vary each week. Pictures of The Bridge’s creations can be found on its Instagram.
Both coffee shops are known for their long lines and bustling environments, but new regulations have shifted the atmosphere. Business is slower without on-campus housing, the number of staff members able to work is limited and no indoor seating is offered.
For Cleo Hernandez, a junior public relations and strategic communication major, working at The Dav has never felt like a job, but rather a place to gather with her friends.
Hernandez represents just one of the many employees of both coffee shops that are mourning the loss of the normal workplace community.
“We have more than enough people to be successful, but it is sad not to have everybody around as usual,” Hernandez said.
David Gonzalez, the manager of The Bridge, expressed a similar sentiment with his employees.
“A lot of people look forward to their shifts everyday just because it gives a break from school and life,” Gonzalez said. “That energy from them has been what I miss the most and what I’m most grateful for and why we’re, as a team, really trying to do what we can to stay open.”
Aside from selling a colorful menu of drinks, The Bridge has been known for its events, such as pop-up exhibits and musical guests.
A pop-up event at The Bridge was canceled in the spring just as COVID-19 hit, but in April, the cafe hosted a virtual event titled “Couch by CouchWest,” where musical guests were able to perform live on The Bridge’s Instagram.
According to Gonzalez, The Bridge hopes to host another virtual event in October to continue engaging students.
Brooke Wong, a junior public health major, is a regular customer at The Bridge. Before the pandemic, she went at least three times a week with her drink of choice being a regular iced mocha, but she’s only gone once since it reopened in September.
“It just wasn’t the same atmosphere, it wasn’t as lively, there was no music playing [and] none of the tables were set up, so it just didn’t feel the same,” Wong said.
Regardless, the main goal for the two coffee shops is to provide support for students as well as their employees.
“We want to be able to reach different students' needs at different times and keep our students employed,” Gonzalez said.
