Seton Hall's dining management company, Gourmet Dining, has partnered with local coffee roasters at Coffee Afficionado to bring new flavor to the morning pick-me-up.
The University cafeteria will no longer serve Green Mountain Coffee. This year, Gourmet Dining wanted to work with an environmentally friendly coffee provider with a Rainforest Alliance certification, according to Alfred Frungillo, chairman of Gourmet Dining. Coffee Afficionado is a locally-based roasting plant in Morganville, N.J., connected to a coffee farmer seeking a Rainforest Alliance certification, he said.
"The Rainforest Alliance certification exemplifies all of the principles Gourmet Dining seeks in sourcing our food, as they work to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior," Frungillo said.
According to Adam Bossie, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Coffee Afficionado, the company buys directly from coffee farmers, raising farm profits and helping growers support their families.
As a local company, Coffee Afficionado offers new benefits to on-campus coffee-drinkers, Frungillo said. Beans are locally roasted and used within one week and all coffees are freshly ground before each brew.
Although Gourmet Dining sees the benefits, one student said he was not impressed with the changeover.
"I prefer homemade coffee because I like mine stronger than the watered-down coffee they serve us here," junior Alex Queliz said.
Bossie said the coffee's weakness comes from incorrect brewing by cafeteria staff members. The cafeteria staff is undergoing new training this week to learn proper brewing techniques.
Lindsay Ireland can be reached at lindsay.ireland@student.shu.edu.
