Merrill Dining to open a coffee shop next semester
Construction for the upcoming coffee shop is blocked off at the South end of Merrill Hall Virtual Dining on November 13, 2025.
Merrill Virtual Dining Hall is opening a coffee shop next semester that will bring food variety. Its menu will have standard coffee shop drinks, such as espresso, and will potentially have sweet treats like cookies, milkshakes or dirty soda.
Talk about a coffee shop started because of student feedback and interest, Amy Probst, marketing director for CMU Dining, said. It will be different from Ponder Coffee and Starbucks on campus since it will be its own individual brand, allowing for more menu customization.
“We’re branding it internally so we can change the menu whenever we want,” Probst said. “We can change the menu when we want, from student feedback, unlike from a brand.”
Several aspects of the coffee shop are being worked on, such as brand, name and hours that it will be open. While it is not confirmed, Probst said it would probably be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The menu is also being worked on, but there are plans to decide on it in a week or two, Probst said. Students will be able to purchase items from the coffee shop with cash, debit cards and FLEX dollars.
Students will have the chance to provide feedback to help CMU Dining customize the menu, Probst said. There is also a feedback form on the CMU Dining website, and they are likely to run additional surveys, she said.
Voice to Vision is a student survey with questions related to dining, food variety, hours of operation and cuisine preferences. The Voice to Vision surveys run every October and will have results come in December that will help provide information for decisions for the coffee shop, Probst said.
The plans for the coffee shop have been in the works for over three years, she said. The coffee shop will add more seating and will be at the South end of the dining hall, mirroring the North side.
“We’re supposed to be fully open next semester in January when students return for the semester,” Probst said.
