It’s time to raise a cup and ask for just a little more brew this morning. With Keene State College now offering coffee from local café, Prime Roast, the impact on community outreach is bursting with robust flavor. Known for baking their own coffee beans, Prime Roast will now be offering KSC students and faculty their unique taste.
And many would argue, they’ve got great taste. Josef Quirinale, General Manager for KSC Dining Services, said, “Prime Roast is roasted locally.”
Quirinale continued, “[then it’s] delivered to us shortly after roasting to insure great quality and is part of the effort of Dining Services to provide more local products on campus.”
In addition, Quirinale said that Prime Roast uses only Fair Trade coffee beans.
“Purchasing Fair Trade means that the product guarantees farmers a fair price, and links farmers directly with importers, creating
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long-term sustainability. Through Fair Trade, farmers earn better incomes, allowing them to hold on to their land and invest in quality,” said Quirinale.
Ryan Askham, KSC sophomore, said he’s heard and believes “[Prime Roast] has better grounds.” When asked if he drinks more coffee at college or back home, he laughed and said, “it’s definitely different at home where I work a lot, doing physical labor.”
For other KSC students, like Meg MacLellan, the opposite is true. She said, “I drink more coffee at college; it’s great, I love it!”
Keegan Monahan, another KSC student said, “it’s the same.”
Evidently, it appears college kids like their caffeine. Quirinale said “Students drink the majority of the coffee sold at Lloyd’s and the Bean and Bagel”. Bryan Thurston would agree. He mentioned how “there’s [usually] a good line at the Bean and Bagel” said Bryan Thurston, who is a recently hired employee at Lloyd’s.
He said he has worked two years at the DC before transferring to Lloyds. When asked if he believes students drink more here than back home, he said “my instinct is to say yes. There are more reasons for it: getting up early for class, staying up late for homework, or to make up for being out late the night before. He understands the need for caffeine. He said he remembers drinking a lot of coffee before the acidity in it started affecting him too severely. However, he still enjoys the occasional iced coffee, and firmly believes coffee is a healthier alternative to energy drinks such as Monster or Redbull.
You won’t find these energy drinks sold at Bean and Bagel. But, you may hear someone suggest them. Other than Prime roast, more and more students are wanting more local foods. There have been recent requests for the likes of food trucks, more vending machines and even another dining hall. Askham mentioned, “It would be cool if there was a dining hall open 24/7, like a smaller one. Most college kids are up past 11 p.m., and they get hungry.” Other students said they would be happy to see a food truck on campus.
When asked their opinion, both MacLellan and Monahan appeared excited at the prospect. However, if it doesn’t happen, or at least happen soon, they said they’re both happy with the options available, especially sizzlers.
In order for an inquiry about a new food or drink item to be added to the KSC menu, Quirinale said, “[they] must meet several requirements, including availability, [that it’s] approved, insured and [comes] from a ‘safe’ source.” But don’t let that intimidate your ideas. “All requests are considered” Quirinale mentioned.For now, some find Prime Roast’s fresh and improved coffee to be the buzz around campus. For some, that will be enough of a change, especially since it’s local. In closing, Quirinale said, “The expectation is that the campus community will be happy to support a local business, [which] provides a great product and is socially responsible.”
Dorthoy England can be contacted at dengland@kscequinox.com