Last week UCSB announced that Nicoletti’s, their coffee shop of 25 years, will soon be replaced by Starbucks. Although Starbucks will likely generate greater revenue for the school, the feeling is mixed on campus regarding the transition from a longtime coffee shop to a corporate chain.

Sue Hawkins, director of dining services in the University Center (UCen), states that the university will still own the location and employ students who have gone through the required Starbucks training. Based on the committee of faculty and staff that evaluated bids for the location, the university believes Starbucks will be more popular among its student body.

With the transition from small-scale to corporate comes a change in the quality of the coffee. UCSB-owned Nicoletti’s was known to serve organic Fair Trade coffees and espressos while Starbucks — which, according to its website, serves “fairly traded” coffee — does not brew certified Fair Trade bean exclusively.

Although this will be the first Starbucks on campus, Isla Vista is home to a Starbucks located less than a block away from campus at 888 Embarcadero del Norte.

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