A previous version of this article misstated the architecture firm responsible for the Lang Cafe renovations. The Lang Cafe was designed by The New School Office of Buildings, with the architecture firm of Ohlhuasen Dubois and Dot Dash Lighting Designer.
Another O Cafe has sprung up on The New School Campus.
An outpost of the coffee joint, which has its home base on the corner of Sixth Avenue and 12th Street, is opening up in the Lang Cafe on the ground floor of 65 W. 11 St. The cafe’s opening will be celebrated with a party starting at 10 a.m. March 26 at Lang. Following the party, O Cafe will begin regular operating hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The party, announced by Stephanie Browner, dean of Eugene Lang College, will also celebrate the completion of the Millimeter Reading Room and the other general renovations to the Lang Cafe.
The cafe will sell coffee and baked goods. Dining dollars and New Card cash will be accepted at this location, as well credit, debit, and cash.
The decision to bring the O Cafe to 11th Street stemmed from positive feedback from students and faculty, as well as a pre-existing relationship with O Cafe at the New School’s retail location in the East 16 St. building, according to Greg Herrera, assistant director of business operations at The New School.
O Cafe’s focus on healthy food options lines up with The New School Dining’s mission to “provide farm-to-table real food that promotes the health of our students, community, and planet,” Herrera said.
“How there can be community around food is definitely the main principle that [O Cafe owner Fernando Aciar] has expressed to us that he wants to bring to The New School,” Herrera said.
Some students looked forward to the renovated space, while others thought the old cafe was fine as-is.
Bennet Melley, a junior studying culture and media at Lang believes that the O Cafe is another space where Lang can continue to build community.
“I think one of the New School’s flaws is obviously its lack of community. So putting in more cafes and areas for students to hangout and study is important in building the community up, especially considering the dining hall is so small,” Melley said.
Some students don’t understand the decision to renovate the cafe at all due to its close proximity to the main O Cafe.
“I feel like we had a perfectly good cafe and they renovated it for no reason when there is already an O Cafe around the corner,” said Katie Nixdorf, a junior studying culture and media at Lang.
India Fizer, a junior in Lang’s Journalism + Design program agreed,
“They made [the Lang cafe] look just like the UC, with no originality. Before they remodeled it, it actually had the school colors. But now it just looks bland and sterile, there’s no life to it,” Fizer said.
Some students feel the O-Cafe is too expensive for a student budget. Hot chocolates, bahias, matcha, teas, and chai cost $5. Americanos is $3.50, $3 for an espresso $3 and $4 for a cappuccino $4.
Haley Bolan, a junior studying screen studies at Lang wishes there were more affordable options. “I do still wish that there were more affordable food options available at Lang, because O Cafe is super pricey which isn’t sustainable or practical for the vast majority of the students,” Bolan said.
“I think it’s expensive, but people seem to like it so I don’t see much harm there,” said Haylee Zalewsky, a senior studying contemporary music. “I kind of liked the way that it was before because there were more food options, but I think the layout is a a lot nicer.”
University administrators have emphasized the importance of input in the further development of campus spaces.
“The first phase of this work will be hearing from students and faculty—to learn more about what is and is not working, and your thoughts on how we should evolve,” Browner said in an email to students.
There will be an open forum on the new Lang Cafe space for students on March 30 at 11 a.m. in Wollman Hall. Students and faculty will be able to share their voices in this discussion led by Rhoda Kennedy, a principal at Deborah Berke Partners, the architectural firm used by The New School for this renovation.
Herrera, in business operations, has high hopes for O Cafe. It’s been well received and I think there’s a lot of synergy behind his business—what it stands for and how that meshes with the New School. I hope that continues at Lang,” Herrera said.
Photo by Orlando Mendiola