Pitt students looking for a coffee and study space will soon have a new option near campus.<\/p>\n
Delanie\u2019s Coffee<\/a>, a popular Pittsburgh cafe with locations in South Side and Shadyside, is expanding into Oakland, replacing the former Saxbys<\/a> inside Pitt\u2019s Big Idea Center<\/a> on Forbes Avenue. The shop opens today, Oct. 9, and was originally slated to open on Sept. 11 before flooding caused the opening to be pushed back.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to Delanie\u2019s owners and the Big Idea Center, the new Delanie\u2019s location will feature signature specialty drinks, locally sourced food and a community-focused atmosphere that aligns with the mission of the Big Idea Center.<\/p>\n Lavinia Ivanica, one of the business owners of Delanie\u2019s, said the move to Oakland was initiated by the cafe because they wanted to expand their customer base into a student audience.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe noticed that the majority of our customers were students,\u201d Ivanica said. \u201cWe loved how the student community responded to what we do and to our brand, and we wanted to continue what we were doing.\u201d<\/p>\n The opportunity to open the new location in the Big Idea Center at Pitt wasn\u2019t initially part of Delanie\u2019s Oakland plan.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were looking for a place in Oakland. We were just talking to Pitt, and this idea was brought up, and we just went for it,\u201d Ivanica said. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t something that we necessarily were looking for, it was something that came up.\u201d<\/p>\n Ivanica said the physical space was designed with students in mind and will look different from the former Saxbys.<\/p>\n \u201cWe try to create a space that\u2019s very cozy and comfortable for students,\u201d Ivanica said. \u201cWe wanted to create a space where students are comfortable to come in and hang out.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Rhonda Schuldt, the director of the Big Idea Center, said Delanie\u2019s will bring a new atmosphere to the space.<\/p>\n \u201cThe renovations have warmed the space up. It\u2019s going to feel much more like a coffee shop,\u201d Schuldt said. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be an on-campus place, but it\u2019s not going to feel like you\u2019re on campus.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Schuldt, the design of the new space will enhance and support the mission of the Big Idea Center.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt celebrates the kind of the spirit of the students that are coming into this center and wanting to impact the world in a positive way through innovative and entrepreneurial action,\u201d Schuldt said. \u201cWe\u2019re excited that Delanie\u2019s [is here] and is about community and building community and strengthening community.\u201d<\/p>\n Ivanica said the local focus of Delanie\u2019s extends beyond the coffee shop itself, as Delanie\u2019s sources nearly all of its food and ingredients from local suppliers and collaborates with small businesses such as Ghost Coffee Collab<\/a>, Driftwood Oven<\/a> and 350\u00b0 Bakery<\/a>, as well as ingredients from Pennsylvania Amish farms.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cEvery food item that people will find in the shop is not frozen stuff. It\u2019s stuff that we get from local bakeries and suppliers, which we love, and we think that they\u2019re awesome,\u201d Ivanica said.<\/p>\n For Pitt students, the new cafe offers another option for coffee, food and study spots in Oakland. Claire Shelley, a senior civil engineering student, is excited about the new location and said that Delanie\u2019s is her favorite coffee shop that she frequents once or twice a week in the summer.<\/p>\n \u201cThe South Side location is probably my favorite coffee place in Pittsburgh,\u201d Shelley said. \u201cI think it\u2019s really awesome to bring Delanie\u2019s in. Having someone come in that\u2019s Pittsburgh-local is really great for the community, and it puts Delanie\u2019s on people\u2019s radars.\u201d<\/p>\n Shelley said that in addition to the coffee and food, she is looking forward to the energy that a coffee shop like Delanie\u2019s brings.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t really like coffee shops that are super sterile,\u201d Shelley said. \u201c[I want] something that\u2019s comfortable to be hanging out in for a while while you get some work done.\u201d<\/p>\n Emma Schramm, a senior anthropology and public & professional writing major, said that she enjoyed Delanie\u2019s Shadyside location and is excited about Delanie\u2019s opening in the Big Idea Center because of its established location as a study spot.<\/p>\n \u201c[The Shadyside Delanie\u2019s] was always a treat because I couldn\u2019t just walk there on my way to class,\u201d Schramm said. \u201cI\u2019ll feel more motivated to work and learn with a delicious drink as opposed to Saxbys, which I could get anywhere on campus.\u201d<\/p>\n Cami Samuel, a senior marketing major and former Saxbys manager who has worked at locations at Hillman, the Cathedral of Learning and the Big Idea Center said that the comfortable environment of Delanie\u2019s will suit the space in the Big Idea Center better than Saxbys did.<\/p>\n \u201cSaxbys is really great to grab in between classes, but it\u2019s not necessarily a place to sit down and drink coffee and work with friends,\u201d Samuel said. \u201cI think the Big Idea Center has the seating and the vibes for that, and Delanie\u2019s is also good for that.\u201d<\/p>\n Samuel said that she looks forward to Delanie\u2019s acting as a comfortable environment and \u201cthird space\u201d for students.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the most important things in a coffee shop is just a really comfortable vibe,\u201d Samuel said. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a good third space to meet up with your friends.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Pitt students looking for a coffee and study space will soon have a new option near campus. 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