Finally, after nearly two years, campus has reopened. Once again we can attend classes, network with classmates and enjoy all of the amenities that Laurier provides. There is however one establishment at Laurier that remains closed. One that while less prominent, is still fondly remembered by many. While Wilf’s, Union Market, and Byte 75 will be serving customers Frank’s Coffee Haus remains unattended and empty.
In my first year, Frank’s was right next to one of my lecture halls. I’m not huge on coffee but they always had all sorts of other drinks, good food, and friendly staff.
It was in a great spot and honestly, I really miss the place. I’m not alone when it comes to fond memories of Frank’s. One fellow golden hawk told me that “I miss Frank’s so much, their white-hot chocolate was incredible”. Another said, “I used to go there after class to get coffee every week with my friends. I live by the fact that they have the best-iced coffee.” Disappointment in Frank’s failure to reopen was even expressed on the Spotted at Laurier’s Twitter account.
I reached out to the Laurier food services’ Instagram for comment on Frank’s continued closure. I was told that; “We are unsure of whether or not it will open this school year.” I brought up how on the Laurier campus dish website that Frank’s was listed as closed for the term.
This prompted the status to be updated to “Closed until further notice.” I inquired why this decision was made and I was informed that the Laurier food service was prioritizing locations based on class enrollment and expected traffic patterns. If you’re familiar with the location of Frank’s this makes sense. The coffee joint is located inside the Peter’s building, at the corner of campus.
With the notable exception of a few classrooms and lecture halls, the shop is otherwise out of the way. I was reassured that Laurier food services intend to reopen all on-campus locations once the campus population increases. This is assuming that there is enough staff to facilitate such an endeavour of course.
It seems like we are still a while from seeing Frank’s reopen, but perhaps this story is allegorical to our current experience. We have begun living life in an almost normal manner, but some things still feel off. We wear masks, we distance ourselves, we can’t go to Frank’s. Personally, I can’t wait for the day when I can take my mask off, give my friend a hug, and enjoy a grilled cheese from Frank’s Coffee Haus.