By Karen Duryea
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
URSA muffin?
Although it may sound like a strange gastrointestinal problem
developed from registering for classes over the phone, relax. It’s
actually part of the "stellar" theme of ASUCLA’s food services
newest addition to North Campus.
Located behind Rolfe Hall, Northern Lights Coffeehouse opened
Monday to become one of three coffeehouses dispersed across the
UCLA campus. But unlike the style of Jimmy’s Coffee in LuValle
Commons or the gothic ambience of Kerckhoff Coffeehouse, Northern
Lights portrays a ’90s atmosphere, stars and all.
"We are delighted about the opening," said Patricia Eastman, the
students’ association’s (ASUCLA) executive director. "It may seem
like one small piece, but it’s a big deal for us to open a new
restaurant on campus."
In recent years, ASUCLA has come back from the brink of
bankruptcy, betting that capital investments like Northern Lights
and the recent Ackerman Union expansion will further their
recovery.
"As a board member last year, I approved and supported Northern
Lights," said Jim Friedman, a graduate appointee and former
Chairman of the Board of Directors. "It’s important that we
reinvest in ASUCLA and make financially sound decisions. It’s not
just worrying about today, our job is more than that. It’s about
bringing things up to date."
Other new additions to campus this fall include 800 new patio
seats and umbrellas for the recently completed courtyard on the
east side of Kerckhoff Hall, and for the Treehouse and Bombshelter
patios, officials said.
"It’s nice to get through this and celebrate the good things
that we’ve worked for – so that it’s not just talk," Friedman
said.
The new coffeehouse is adjacent to Parking Lot 5 with a windowed
view of Anderson Graduate School of Management, home of Espresso
Roma, a privately owned coffee shop. Friedman is optimistic for the
new restaurant because of its close proximity to Anderson, the
English Department, the School of Theater, Film and Television and
Bunche Hall.
"I think the Anderson people will be over here," he said with a
smile.
Northern Lights recruited employees from other ASUCLA food
services to work the espresso bar and food counter, since no
employees had been hired yet to fill the approximately 75 jobs
created by the new coffee shop.
"(Northern Lights) has a way better layout" than other ASUCLA
coffeeshops, said Andrew Keefe, a fourth-year mechanical
engineering student and ASUCLA employee who usually works at
Kerckhoff Coffeehouse. "There’s more room, more espresso
machines.
"I don’t necessarily think there’s a need for another
coffeehouse, but it will be used," Keefe said. "Kerckhoff isn’t set
up for the volume of customers it gets. There are usually lines out
the doors."
Administrators and employees alike hope that the new coffeehouse
will reduce the often long lines found at other coffeeshops on
campus.
But Northern Lights isn’t the only new or improved coffee venue
on campus. Kerckhoff Coffeehouse, known for its loud music, live
jazz concerts and carved wood tables also endured a renovation over
the summer to update the style and remove asbestos in some of the
building materials.
As part of the renovation, the wood tables were sanded down,
erasing years of inscriptions made by students wanting to leave
their mark.
"They had become so carved and were in such bad shape," said
ASUCLA Food Services Director Kert Evans. "We planed the tops off
so the design of the tables matched the design of the
coffeehouse."
At Northern Lights, a glowing coffee cup greets customers
overhead as they enter, and once inside, shiny, reflective tables
and modern colored seats and stools provide a place to grab a quick
cup of joe and exchange a few words with friends between
classes.
The coffeeshop offers the same menu as Kerckhoff, including a
variety of food,drinks and Baskin Robbins ice cream. A few minor
changes to the menu include more pasta salads and bread, while
soups are not offered, said Justin Hooks of ASUCLA food
services.
"This offers a lot more," said Nipith Ongwiseth, a fifth-year
economics student and senior supervisor at Jimmy’s who was borrowed
for the day to work at Northern Lights. "And the food, eclairs, we
don’t have that at Jimmy’s."
The Kerckhoff menu was used as a model for Northern Lights since
it has proved successful in past years, Evans said.
"Certainly I think the menu will become flexible depending on
the demands of customers," he added.
According to Evans, the current location of Northern Lights used
to be a makeshift coffeeshop 20 years ago called the "Gypsy
Wagon."
"It was two back-to-back trailers that served muffins and
not-so-gourmet coffee," he said.
Since then, the location has been an arcade, complementing the
North Campus Student Center and now boasts the largest college food
service coffeehouse in the United States, Evans said.