In the Arrupe Commons at Rockhurst University, the dining venue hidden behind shutters advertised as The Roasterie has sat empty and unoccupied for two years. As the space serves as a constant reminder to students of the caffeine they are missing out on, Rockhurst’s dining services are looking for a local business to fill the void.

In September of 2015, the space opened as a branch of the popular local Kansas City coffee shop, The Roasterie. The branch closed after the spring 2022 semester due to lack of sales and its inability to compete with the on-campus Starbucks and Einstein Bros. Bagels that were available at the time.

“It started out kind of slow, simply because we had three coffee shops on our campus,” said Bruce Turnbough, the senior director of dining services at Rockhurst. “Each business competes with the other and with having an Einstein’s and a Starbucks on campus, The Roasterie was a hard sell.”

Since the closure of The Roasterie in Arrupe, there has not been a consistent dining venue occupying the space. The goal for Turbough and his team is to lease the space by fall 2024. While nothing is official yet, there are several potential tenants.

“For the last 18 months, we’ve been fairly aggressive at trying to partner with local restaurants and foodservice operations to take over that space,” said Turnbough.

Despite interest from several local businesses, there are a few logistical factors that limit the possibilities.

“The space is specifically designed for a coffee shop. There’s no ventilation, no cooking equipment and limited storage space,” Turnbough said.

Because of the setup of the space, it is likely it will serve as some type of ice cream shop or smoothie operation. Thus far, Turnbough has had conversations with the local Kansas City ice cream shops Melt Box and Betty Rae’s.

Whether or not ice cream is involved, a local business will likely fill the space.

“Using local business promotes Kansas City,” Turnbough said. “When you bring in a chain, the money doesn’t necessarily stay in Kansas City. If you partner locally, you’ve got word of mouth on the street and if you’re a local business that goes a long way.”

If students have any ideas for the space, Turnbough invites feedback.

“An effective way to make a suggestion would be to get hold of your student senate representative, but also I’m on campus pretty much every day,” he said. “So, if anybody ever has any suggestions, thoughts or ideas, I have absolutely no problem welcoming them.”

So as the semester continues, envision dining options that would fit the needs of Rockhurst students and look for any updates regarding the space in Arrupe.