<p>From The Crimson White:</p>
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<p>[Largest</a> Starbucks in U.S. coming to the Ferg | The Crimson White](<a href=“http://cw.ua.edu/2012/08/28/largest-starbucks-in-u-s-coming-to-the-ferg/]Largest”>http://cw.ua.edu/2012/08/28/largest-starbucks-in-u-s-coming-to-the-ferg/)</p>
<p>WOW–nation’s largest Starbucks! Everything is bigger and better at Bama, lol.</p>
<p>I’m not a huge Starbucks fan, I must confess. (Can you say “overpriced”?) But this is still cool. Thanks for sharing!</p>
<p>Cool. I must say I was hoping this was going to be about post office improvement!!!</p>
<p>Sent from my DROID RAZR using CC</p>
<p>I’m glad it’s moving downstairs…who wants to climb a tall flight of stairs to get coffee? </p>
<p>I’ve been in that game room, they must be using more space that that if this will be the biggest Starbucks.</p>
<p>*The new Starbucks will feature extended hours, new late-night programming and an increase in student job opportunities. The Annual Capital Development Plan for 2012-2013 states that with Starbucks now located closer to the University Supply Store, it will be more beneficial to business for both stores.</p>
<p>The plan also states that the new Starbucks will not only be a premier food service location, but also a convenient option and a potential recruitment tool.</p>
<p>The primary reason for this expansion plan is to compensate for the continual growth of the student body. Dining services feels the need to continue to provide sufficient service for every student.</p>
<p>Hopton-Jones said the current Starbucks will be removed and additional seating will fill the vacated space to help with overcrowding during peak lunch hours.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>DD will be VERY happy! Starbucks is a staple in our family.</p>
<p>I like the extended hours. It’s silly for a coffee shop on a university campus to close at 10.</p>
<p>Maybe they are feeling the competition from “Dunkin”. </p>
<p>The city’s first Dunkin’ Donuts shop will have its grand opening on Sept. 4 at the Lakeside Dining Hall at 160 McCorvey Drive on the University of Alabama campus.</p>
<p>The restaurant, which will make fresh doughnuts on site, will open at 7 a.m. Sept. 4. The grand opening ceremony will be at 10:30 a.m., with a ribbon-cutting followed by mini-golf and cornhole toss games, in which competitors can win free donuts, coffee and T-shirts. The competition will last until 2:30 p.m.</p>
<p>Full Article:
[Dunkin</a>’ Donuts coming to town | TuscaloosaNews.com](<a href=“http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20120829/NEWS/120829774/1007?Title=Dunkin-Donuts-coming-to-town]Dunkin”>http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20120829/NEWS/120829774/1007?Title=Dunkin-Donuts-coming-to-town)</p>
<p>Competition shouldn’t be an issue as both Starbucks and Dunkin donuts will be operated by Aramark.</p>
<p>I’d like to hear from Starbucks if the UA location is actually the largest in the US, especially since I remember the original version of the article saying that it would be the biggest Starbucks in the World. I have a hard time believing that this honor would go to a franchisee. I also doubt that the new Starbucks location will be serving hot food and wine as that is a concept Starbucks is moving to in its flagship stores.</p>
<p>The Midtown Village Starbucks closes between 10:00 pm and Midnight on School Nights, so it will be good for the Ferg location to be open later hours. I went to redeem my treat receipt on Sunday only to find that the Ferg Starbucks had closed at 4:00 pm.</p>
<p>Now if the Ferg Starbucks would start honoring Starbucks Gold Card benefits and end the 10-50% markup over corporate and other franchised locations, I would go there more often.</p>
<p>They can’t honor Gold Card benefits because it’s not an actual Starbucks (which are all company owned) but a licensed operation. This is also why you CAN use Dining Dollars there. It would be great to have a second real Starbucks in Tuscaloosa. I would love it even more if it had a drive-thru.</p>
<p>Many licensees honor Gold Card benefits, including Sodexo, which also bid for the UA dining contracts, and most grocery chains. The only holdouts I’ve seen have been Aramark and some HMS Host-operated locations.</p>
<p>Random Fact: Some people from Starkville and Columbus, Mississippi will drive all the way to Tuscaloosa to go to Starbucks. Contrast this to my hometown where there is a Starbucks or Starbucks licensee every couple blocks.</p>
<p>I’ve been meaning to see if campus dining outlets are classified as restaurants, fast food places, or something else according to the major credit card companies. If they are classified as restaurants, there really is no need to ever use Dining Dollars provided one has $600 they don’t need to use for 10 months.</p>
<p>I know how that glut of Starbucks can be: in Houston, there is an intersection, informally known as “Three Starbucks Corner”, that has two Starbucks and a Barnes & Noble (sells Starbucks coffee in their cafe) next door to one another!</p>
<p>I’d like to hear from Starbucks if the UA location is actually the largest in the US, especially</p>
<p>I think someone misunderstood something. Maybe it will be the largest one on a campus? I’ve seen some very large Starbucks in airports, so I find it hard to believe that the Bama one will be larger. Plus, unless the new area will use more space than just the Game Room, I don’t see how it can be the biggest.</p>
<p>Dunkin Donuts on campus? SWEEEEEET!!!</p>
<p>I’ve been here in the South for 23 years (a transplant from Massachusetts via Vermont), and I feel totally acclimated to Southern ways and Southern food. BUT…I still gotta say (at the risk of starting a new Civil War):</p>
<p>Dunkin Donuts RULES.
Krispy Kreme DROOLS!</p>
<p>Both the Starbucks and the Dunkin Donuts sound as if they’ll be great study hangouts. Nothing like a good cup of java to get the little grey cells working!</p>
<p>I would hope Sodexo doesn’t get a foothold. My experiences with them at UAB are less than stellar. Not a Sodexo fan.</p>