May 24th, 2023
Bethel College and Aladdin Campus Dining, the college’s dining service since 2012, will expand their partnership to extend to the space in Schultz Student Center formerly known as Mojo’s.
Bethel and Aladdin plan to reopen the coffee shop under a new name by Aug. 1. Watch Bethel’s social media for updates.
Aladdin Campus Dining will be bringing the line of We Proudly Serve Starbucks® and Island Oasis® products, consisting of hot and cold espresso drinks, drip coffee, refreshers, frappuccinos and Island Oasis smoothies.
The coffee shop and breakfast/lunch spot at Bethel will continue the tradition of being a place where students, faculty, staff and the neighboring community can gather for a meal or a meeting.
Evening hours throughout the school year, with programming run by Bethel students, will extend the time the space will be available for learning and socializing.
“We are flattered by the response of the community members, artisans and coffee entrepreneurs who reached out to us with interest in occupying the space,” said Bethel President Jon C. Gering.
“We hosted three open forums and received more than 50 comments via email and our webpage. We interviewed seven vendors who were all trying to create an excellent space for our community and students.
“The needs of our students were the first priority in choosing Aladdin for this expansion,” Gering added.
One of Bethel’s current strategic priorities is to make campus food options more accessible.
Under the new arrangement, students will eventually be able to use flex dollars at the coffee shop, the menu will be more affordable than previous incarnations, the menu integrates into the current meal plan, and online ordering will be available.
Another piece of the same strategic priority is to provide additional gathering space.
Aladdin will put significant capital investment into the coffee shop area, adding improvements and updates that will open up a community area for students.
Aladdin has a rich history of hiring students, which fits into another strategic priority of providing students with employment experiences.
“Large multinational businesses such as Aladdin and Starbucks open a pipeline of entry-level employment that other vendors cannot provide,” Gering said.
“Also, Aladdin understands the financial realities of running a campus coffee shop.”
He continued, “Aladdin has diversity, equity and inclusion built into their business model, along with responsible, ethical sourcing, and more environmentally sustainable production methods.
“We Proudly Serve Starbucks® will be a recognizable brand to most of our students and their families, creating a sense of stability and familiarity.”
“Aladdin’s exceptional reputation and proven experience in increasing sales through brand consistency and service for both We Proudly Serve Starbucks® [and] Aladdin’s signature coffee programs resonate with college and university decision-makers looking to enhance their college dining footprint,” said Grace Hoyer, Aladdin public relations manager.
“By selecting trending high-quality food and beverages affordable to students, Aladdin keeps students and faculty on campus, generating revenue for the college, which benefits the overall dining experience.”
Patty Meier opened Mojo’s at Bethel in 2010 in what was originally Bubbert’s, the snack shop run by the Bethel food service contractor. She built a thriving business that quickly became a popular meeting place as well as an employer for several generations of students.
Reverie Roasters at Mojo’s, an independently owned and operated community coffee shop based in Wichita, joined the Bethel team at the beginning of 2022, and departed in May 2023.
Bethel is a four-year liberal arts college founded in 1887 and is the oldest Mennonite college in North America. Known for academic excellence, Bethel ranks at #14 in the Washington Monthly list of “Best Bachelor’s Colleges,” and #24 in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of “Best Regional Colleges Midwest,” both for 2022-23. Bethel is the only Kansas college or university to be named a Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Center. For more information, see www.bethelks.edu