By Kayla Perry, Editor-in-Chief
The second Voyageur Café opened in the Ben Avery building in late September, bringing a new food option to the other side of campus.
Lizette Frappier, the Laurentian University Student Centre Manager, said the second café will give students a place to grab coffee while the Alphonse Raymond cafeteria is closed for renovation.
The Voyageur Café and Games Room in the Student Centre was also redesigned over the summer, which included introducing larger tables for studying, and moving the pool tables to the back of the games room to make room for more couches and tables in the front half of the area.
Frappier also said the redesign of the original café location in the student centre was in an effort to give the space more of a “café vibe.”
Frappier has been attending LU since 2006, on both a part time and full time basis, and said in her previous experiences at the pub she had “never really felt comfortable” in the games room.
“When I was a student and wanted to grab a drink and study, (the room) wasn’t really relaxing. I wanted to make this place more inclusive, and to attract more students, so they could have a place to come and study,” said Frappier.
“By redesigning the layout, and making the back more games-oriented, that space is now being used to its fullest capacity.”
Old Rock Café supplies coffee to both locations, and Frappier said both café’s have “upped their game” by introducing a more “full-serving café option” with espresso products.
The café’s now also sell reusable mugs, and Frappier said she is hoping the café will soon have more products to sell students.
Similarly, although the cafes are currently only serving beverages due to Aramarks current monopoly over food services in LU buildings, Frappier said she is “in discussion with Aramark to see what (the cafes) can do.”
After opening on Sept. 24, the location in the Ben Avery is, for now, simply a coffee bar where students can order drinks through a window in the third floor lounge.
The Student Center location is open Monday and Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on Fridays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Ben Avery location is open Monday-Friday, between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Both locations will be open during the December and April exam periods, and will continue to serve students during their regular hours.
To find the menu, and more information, please visit the Laurentian Café Facebook page.
Editors note: This article accompanies a LU Voyageur Café coffee coupon, which can be found in the Oct. 28 issue of The Lambda. To be used, the coupon must be presented at either cafe location for $0.50 off a purchase, and expires in April 2015.
