With Joe Van Gogh temporarily closed, some Duke coffee drinkers have to go elsewhere for their daily cup of joe.
For the past three weeks, some Joe Van Gogh coffee shop fans have struggled to find a complete replacement for their favorite on-campus coffee spot. The cafe closed March 1 due to ongoing Bryan Center renovations and is expected to reopen early this summer. Although some have turned to other coffee vendors, many say Joe Van Gogh’s absence leaves a void.
“Coming from Seattle, I’m kind of snobby about that type of stuff, and you can also taste the difference [at Joe Van Gogh],” senior Tim Chang said. “Baristas were for the most part knowledgeable.”
Chang noted that he values the atmosphere of a coffee shop like Joe Van Gogh as “not merely a place to get coffee.” Now, to get his fix, he goes to Francesca’s Dessert Cafe on Ninth Street. But when he needs a quick cup of coffee, Chang said Saladelia at the Perk in von der Heyden Pavilion is the best alternative.
Although former Joe Van Gogh customers are flocking to different coffee shops, on-campus vendors are not reporting an uptick in sales.
Sales at the Perk have not increased dramatically since the beginning of March, said Kevin Summers, director of operations at Saladelia restaurant group.
“We have seen a consistent increase in sales in the past six months since September, but there hasn’t been a big pop this month,” Summers said.
Twinnie’s sales have also been steady, said general manager Jack Haddad. The manager of Bella Union could not be reached for comment in time for publication.
Joe Van Gogh’s absence has caused some students to change their caffeine habits. Freshman Allison Draper noted that there are consistently long lines at the Perk, an inconvenience in a student’s busy schedule.
Draper used to stop by Joe Van Gogh at least three times a week on her way to class on Science Drive, she said. Because von der Heyden Pavilion is off her path, Draper has had to cut down her coffee intake to once or twice a week. Draper also tries to make coffee in her dorm room more often now than she did in the past few months.
Junior Wendy Xiao, who used to get coffee from Joe Van Gogh three or four times a week, said she now frequents multiple vendors to get coffee. She added that she only orders drip coffee because nowhere on campus makes her typical order—a dirty chai latte—as well as Joe Van Gogh.
“I don’t go anywhere regularly now, and it’s more of an on-need basis,” Xaio said. “It’s a good thing because I don’t feel as big of a need to get coffee as often.”
Senior Chirag Vasavda said Saladelia has acceptable coffee, but, like Draper, he prefers making his own with coffee beans he purchased from Joe Van Gogh.
Vasavda said he had grown so familiar to the Joe Van Gogh staff that he could just walk into the coffee shop every morning expecting his 16 oz. americano waiting for him on the counter. He added that Joe Van Gogh was a popular location for the science, math and physics professors to meet with their students because of its small size and relative proximity to Science Drive.
“One thing I liked about Joe is the overall atmosphere it provided—it’s not like Au Bon Pain where there’s a bunch of people, and it’s really loud,” Vasavda said. “My favorite thing to do if I have time is just to get a cup of coffee, sit there and read the news in the morning.”
Chang said Duke is missing a popular nice-weather hangout location.
“There is nowhere else on campus like Joe Van Gogh. Late in Spring—when it’s sunny and nice—seniors would always get a cup of refreshing coffee and hang out [on the plaza],” he added. “You can’t do that anymore.”
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