Lawrence students, staff and faculty are lucky to have a myriad of options open to them when they are in the mood for food and drink. The campus’ close proximity to downtown Appleton provides
easy access to a number of restaurants,
bars and coffee shops. Additionally, the Union Grill on the Lawrence campus is frequently open, so why go anywhere else? Think again.
Lawrence’s Underground Coffeehouse is in the midst of planning a major recorating campaign. Emily Palmer, former student manager
of the Coffeehouse, mentioned that there had been a Coffeehouse Committee in previous years, but it wasn’t until recently that it became active again. “The committee kind of crumbled in the past because SOUP does a lot of programming
down there, which was a main purpose of the committee. However, I felt that it was just a neglected but wonderful part of our campus, and so we revived it,” she says.
A group of students on the Coffeehouse Committee have decided to start with the little things that make a place appealing:
its dcor. To spruce things up, new pillows, rugs and candlesticks
have been placed in the coffeehouse to give it a more relaxing, homey feel. They hope to have the walls repainted over the summer, which will also freshen the space up. Jen Cox, a sophomore member of the Coffeehouse Committee, noted that these physical changes will give it a more professional look.
In order to attract more business, new drinks and spices are being offered, including organic cinnamon, nutmeg, powdered chocolate and hot apple cider. Ground bags of coffee will also soon be sold, so patrons can take coffee home with them and make it themselves at half the price they’d pay downtown.
The Coffeehouse Committee wants to offer more entertainment at the Underground with a focus on student work. Student bands, comedians and artists
are all welcome to showcase their talents.
Students are also encouraged to present their requests to the Coffeehouse Committee as the group has an allocation of funds from LUCC to be used on entertainment.
“It’s student-run, so it should be what students want,” said Cox.
Students interested in joining the Coffeehouse Committee or helping plan future events for the Underground Coffeehouse are encouraged to attend meetings on Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m. in the Volunteer Center.
Coffeehouse Committee plans to improve the Underground atmosphere
