William Alligood
It seems like every day a new coffee shop springs up somewhere. With Dunkin Donuts, Global Village and Reverie on Hillsborough Street, along with Hill of Beans in D.H. Hill, a good cup of caffeine is always just a walk away for students on main campus.
Finally, students on Centennial are able to say the same.
On Feb. 13, Port City Java officially opened its first location at N.C. State in the College of Textiles on Centennial Campus.
Port City Java began as a single cafe in Wilmington in 1995 and over the past 10 years, has grown to serve cities along most of the East Coast, as well as ones in Texas, California and Michigan.
The new cafe on Centennial is located at 1000 Main Campus Drive, next to the Shuttle Inn.
Annie Bishop and Sonali Shah, both juniors in textile and apparel management, said they have frequented the cafe since it opened Monday.
Shah said it was convenient because it was so close to her classes.
Bishop agreed, adding that “it’s better than the Shuttle Inn.”
Both students said they feel Port City Java is an improvement in dining options on Centennial Campus, and agree they would like to see more changes like it.
“I’m glad we actually have this here now,” Shah said.
While Port City Java may be a bit pricey — with some coffee drinks ranging from $3 to $4 — Shah and Bishop agreed that the coffee, as well as the sandwiches and baked goods, are usually worth the money.
Hanna Rodriguez, a junior in chemical engineering, made her first trip to Port City Java Friday. She said she feels the product is a little expensive, but agrees that it is worth it.
“It was good — a good place to hang out, to just sit and relax. They had good food and drinks,” she said. “It’s definitely a change, an out-of-the-ordinary dining option.”
She said she would like to see more developments like Port City Java elsewhere on campus too.
“I love that ambiance; that mellow, coffee shop kind of feel,” Rodriguez said.
One of the notable products of Port City Java is their Fairganic coffee.
A trademark of the coffee shops, the term “Fairganic” is a cross between fair trade and organic, according to Kevin Welch, who works with the cooperative headquarters for Port City Java in Wilmington and has been assigned to help open the cafe on Centennial Campus.
“Every day we will always offer one coffee that is both fair-trade certified and organically grown,” Welch said.
He said that Port City Java’s goal within the next couple of years is to have every type of their coffee 100-percent fair-trade certified and organically grown, and that the only thing hindering them right now is the issue of supply.
For now, employees at the cafe are busy learning how to do everything smoothly and efficiently. According to a press release issued on behalf of Port City Java, University Dining has completed extensive training to better prepare them for the task of running the new cafe, but there is still some degree of trial and error involved.
“We have gradually seen increases every day,” Welch said. “Every day gets a little bit better. As the staff gets more efficient, we are better able to handle everything.”
According to the same press release, this is only the first of three Port City Java cafes to be established at the University over the next few years.
Welch said he has enjoyed working with the employees at the Port City Java on Centennial Campus, as well as working with the customers.
“Any time we do a new cafe opening — and I’ve done a number of them — people have very high expectations; we do everything we can to meet those expectations,” he said. “There will always be a glitch here and there with a new opening, and people have been very understanding.”