On March 3, Cargo Coffee reopened its third location on campus by King Hall, following the fire that destroyed the kiosk last spring.
Cargo Coffee once again has three campus locations: one on the backside of Olson Hall, one between Engineering III and Academic Surge and now one by King Hall. The owners decided to reopen the kiosk at its former location to draw in its previous customers, said Steve Scott, manager of Cargo Coffee.
“They [reopened] it for familiarity,” Scott said. “That’s where people knew where it was before.”
Last spring quarter, an early morning fire destroyed the kiosk near King Hall.
UC Davis Police Chief Annette Spicuzza said that it is not clear whether the fire was an accident or arson, but that the police department is waiting on results from the lab to determine this.
“At this point, the investigation is continuing,” Spicuzza said. “We are still waiting on information that could tell us the type of substance and the type of accelerant.”
Currently, there are no leads as to who may have caused the fire or for what reason, Spicuzza said.
Cargo Coffee provides a small coffee drink for $1.80, small cappuccinos and lattes for $2.95 each and a small mocha for $3.35. The ASUCD Coffee House sells these drinks for $1.60, $2.50, $2.65 and $3.15, respectively.
Scott noted two of their specialty drinks, a pumpkin cheesecake latte and a twisted penguin – a dark and white chocolate mocha. The most popular drinks are the white mochas starting at $3.60 and the chai lattes for $3.35, Scott said.
Scott also said that customers that bring their own mug receive a discount of 25 cents off of barista drinks and $1.50 off root coffee drinks.
The kiosks also carry various breakfast and pastry items, Naked juices for $3.95 and a fruit smoothie starting at $4.25.
All of the drinks contain fair trade organic coffee – coffee that is produced under fair conditions for the workers and promotes sustainability.
Additionally, the kiosks are privately owned and operated through a sub-contract with Sodexo.
Christina Ithurburn, a first-year law student, went to Cargo Coffee the first three days it was open. She said that Cargo Coffee’s drinks are comparable in quality to the Coffee House.
“I would say that the drinks are better than the Silo, but that they are similar to the Coffee House,” she said.
MARTHA GEORGIS can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.
