Villanova students returned to campus finding new surprises waiting for them at the Connelly Center. While students were off for summer break, Villanova staff was hard at work implementing new changes at Holy Grounds’ most popular location on campus, including a switch to serving Starbucks drinks and the replacement of the traditional ordering system at the counter with a Grubhub system, similar to the one used at Cafe Nova. These changes have been controversial among Villanova students, with some excited by the new changes and others missing the previous Holy Grounds.
The Starbucks drinks were a welcome surprise to many students who no longer have to leave Villanova’s campus to buy their favorite refreshers and other Starbucks-exclusive drinks from the nearby shopping center. While there’s no denying that Starbucks is by far the more popular brand of choice, especially among young people like college students, some miss the previously served Peet’s Coffee, which had become a Villanova staple.
Sophomore Sophia Ong, said that while she likes Starbucks, she prefers having Peet’s Coffee served on campus as it’s “more specific to Villanova’s campus than Starbucks is.” While it’s true that Peet’s Coffee is also a chain and isn’t a Villanova brand, it’s much less widely known and available than Starbucks is, creating a more local feeling.
In addition, certain drinks that aren’t Starbucks-specific have also been replaced, some for the worse. For instance, the chai lattes taste distinctly different and are now higher priced due to Starbucks’ pricing.
The response to the other main change, the Grubhub ordering system, has also been mixed among the student body. Some students say that being able to order with just a quick click on their phones while being anywhere on campus is much more convenient than having to wait in lines, especially long ones in the morning.
However, others criticized the system for actually increasing wait times. On weekday mornings, typically the busiest time for this location, there may no longer be a long line at the counter, but wait times on the app can go up to 45 minutes.
An anonymous Connelly Holy Grounds employee reported that one concern that she has heard from customers is drinks and food not being prepared at the same time.
“Two screens have just drink orders and the other has food, but it can be hard depending on how many people are working to make sure all needs are being met,” the employee said.
Of course, it’s still early on in the year, so it’s important to acknowledge that all changes have their stumbling blocks when they’re first implemented. With time to adjust and the dedicated work of the Holy Grounds teams, these may not be permanent issues.
Other students aren’t fans of the Grubhub system in general and oppose its growing presence on campus. Freshman Kiran Kaur expressed that she found Grubhub ordering to be “a little bit confusing” as a new student using Grubhub in this way for the first time, as most people generally use it solely as a delivery service outside of college campuses. But it’s not just new students. Senior Colin Dowdell felt similarly, calling it a “regression” from the regular Holy Grounds that he has known for years.
There’s also the loss of human interaction that Grubhub creates. Students often stood in line talking to their friends, connecting with new people and growing closer with classmates. Though the lines were long, people stood through it together. Now the wait is a solo one.
Additionally, the new wall separating the students from the workers similarly creates an impersonal feeling. In today’s world, people are becoming increasingly isolated while relying more and more on technology and the elimination of even these small acts of social interaction contribute to that.
Overall, the reception to the new changes at the Connelly Center’s Holy Grounds has been wide-ranging. While there certainly are shortcomings with the new updates, they are still new. Hopefully, with experience and adjustment, the new updates will be improved.
