Depending on the time of day, the line for students waiting to get coffee can stretch out the door of Coal Coffee, housed within Crumbleberry Market. Maybe it’s the unusually colored coal lattes that intrigue students, or the novelty of Coal Coffee being the first ever coffee shop on campus. Either way, Cameron Gustman, founder and barista, hopes that when students try the coffee, they’ll come back for more.
Gustman said his parents started Crumbleberry Market, and he has been involved with the eatery from the start.
“We (Gustman family) had a lot of students and faculty come into Crumbleberry and ask if we sold coffee or if we could start selling it,” Gustman said in an interview with the Accent. “And, I mean, it goes along well with the food we sell. So it was something that we started discussing more and more, and finally decided to get into.”
Gustman said he has been making coffee for several years and gained much of his experience while working in a coffee shop.
“I was working at a coffee shop and started experimenting with coffee, and there were people that would come in and want me to make their drink because I would do different things to the recipes,” Gustman said. “And I thought, well, maybe I could do my own thing. And I had a really good opportunity with my mom already having a shop here.”
According to Gustman, the name “Coal Coffee” always seemed like an obvious choice because of the connection of coal as fuel and coffee also being “fuel.” Gustman said he likes the aesthetic of skate and surf brands and wanted a similar feel for his business. He said the activated charcoal, used in the mineral lattes, not only gives the drinks a cool color but offers various health benefits. Activated charcoal has been known to be beneficial for gut health as well as to whiten teeth and lower cholesterol.
Hayley Halversen, sophomore allied health major, has already visited Coal Coffee twice since its opening.
“I honestly didn’t know what to expect because I’m sort of picky when it comes to coffee, but it surprised me, in a good way,” Halversen said. “The location is really convenient, so I know I’ll be back.”
Some students, like freshman public relations major Naomi Linder, feel differently.
“I feel like having a coffee shop on campus is inconsistent with what the institution upholds regarding caffeine,” Linder said.
Gustman said he has dreams of expanding Coal Coffee.
“The goal isn’t to stay in this space forever. I could see it being its own shop in the future,” Gustman said. “This is just the start.”
Gustman said that in the coming weeks, students can look forward to the addition of matcha, london fog, teas and new specialty lattes to the menu.
