The Coffee Lounge located inside the General Classroom Building at Colorado State University-Pueblo officially opened for business Nov. 4.

The goals behind building the coffee shop were to provide students with a place to study or take a break before, between and after classes, and to provide a stop on the way to other parts of the campus.

“I believe the goals are starting to be realized, based on recent observations,” said John Barnosky, director of Planning and Construction at CSU-Pueblo.

The lounge currently offers coffee drinks, espresso, cold drinks, pastries and some grab-and-go items.

The space was designed by Gwen Gilley, of Hord Coplan Macht Architects, while Claudia Walters, Chartwells Director of Dining Services, played a key role in ensuring the design fit Chartwells’ requirements.

Barnosky said the project was met with some challenges. The shop’s opening was delayed a few months after the opening of the new classroom building, which welcomed its first classes this August.

“Designing the food service equipment into the allotted space, late delivery of menu boards, and re-order of some equipment parts that didn’t fit. Furthermore, new software upgrades for point-of-sale cash register took longer than anticipated,” Barnosky said.

“The original vision was for an informal gathering space that would allow engagement of students and faculty in a ‘coffee shop’ atmosphere,” he said.

The original equipment budget for the GCB Coffee Lounge was $21,000, which included furniture, equipment and countertops.

Key players in the project included Grady’s Restaurant and Bar Supply of Pueblo, which supplied the majority of the equipment, and G.H. Phipps Construction Co., a general contractor that built the space. Furniture was provided by the Colorado Department of Corrections.