Coffee is delicious. Most adults probably have two or three cups a day. They say they aren’t addicted, but who knows? And as for the people who don’t like coffee, I’m sure they still love coffee shops – who wouldn’t love a Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks right by their house? This summer, when I found out where I was living on campus, I immediately checked to see where the nearest coffee shops and cafés were, and to my gleeful surprise, there was one right next to my dorm!
We all know and love Jazzman’s Café/Ruane’s Den, but the venue has a history that is probably unknown to most; for instance, did you know that Ruane’s was originally a dining hall? (Well, maybe you did… I didn’t.) In the past two years only, it has transformed into a place for students to work and snack in a quiet atmosphere. The Sodexo Company, “the largest hospitality company you’ve never heard of,” is responsible for the remarkable transformations that have taken place, as they also sponsor many other Jazzman’s cafés around the country at a number of different colleges. These are all very well received.
Students love being able to get quality food – coffee, smoothies, salads, sandwiches and soups – at their convenience. Harris is a long walk for those of us living in South campus, and Ruane’s makes for an alternative option when the weather is dreary. However, the opposite is also true: students living in North or Central probably don’t visit Ruane’s often as it is farther away from them than Oasis and the Blue Camel Café.
Because of this location factor, the café hosts many “regular” customers who are loyal supporters of the business. Joanna Baker, manager of Ruane’s/Jazzman’s, agrees that there is a “definite sense of community among workers and customers.” She is a mother, an older sister and a counselor for the customers and employees who know her well. She dedicatedly trains incoming workers and makes sure that they are well aware of the rules and standards of the business. Expectations are high, she says, but that’s what makes Jazzman’s Café such a great place to be.
There has been a recent turnover in employees, says one worker, but with so many students traveling abroad, this is to be expected. The café isn’t student-run, and because of this, it feels different from other coffee shops around campus. There is a definite professional atmosphere – perhaps comparable to the likes of Starbucks, which has specific recipes and formulas for its drinks and food. Again, this is just another aspect that makes the café so unique.
Many people – myself included – wonder about the two names of the one business. Is it Ruane’s Den? Jazzman’s Café? What is the story here? Apparently, the Ruanes are major benefactors at Connecticut College: they donated money (and continue to do so) in hopes that cafés would be available to students looking to find quality food and meals. The name “Jazzman’s” is simply the name of the cafés found at other colleges (all under Sodexo). Baker hopes that one day, the confusing name will merge into “Ruane’s Den at Jazzman’s Café.”
The appearance of the café is pretty and grand, but there do need to be some tweaks and fine-tuning. As the transformation only happened two years ago, there are still loose ends to tie up – recently, a tile ceiling crashed in the middle of the café, spilling grit, dust and water all over customers. Such mishaps are bound to occur, as the business is still relatively new and not everything has been figured out.
The future is unclear, but you can be sure it will be bright. There seem to be plans in the making, but who’s to say what they are? When asked about the future, Joanna Baker confidently and smoothly replied, “We will take it one day at a time.”
I don’t believe you have done enough research on the history of Sodexo. Are you aware of Sodexo’s history of persecuting trade union activists? Of its investments in private-sector prisons? Of its history of concerted wage-depression and labor exploitation? Of workers’ accusations of racist employment and promotion policies within the company? Sodexo even used to have the word “exploitation” in its own name. Sodexo has an annual turnover of $15.3 billion. Students at other universities have combated the outsourcing of college dining services to Sodexo. An example is Kenyon College: http://www.change.org/petitions/kenyon-college-stop-kenyon-from-partnering-with-sodexo . Jazzman’s Cafe is only one example of the corporate incursion happening to us here at Connecticut College.