Raymond Baccari
Editor-in-Chief
Rhode Island College’s Beestro Cafe is set for a renovation this summer and students are encouraged to give their input.
“There are plans to renovate The Beestro over the summer and transform it into a comfortable space where you can unwind, relax and enjoy some well-deserved downtime,” SCG Deputy Speaker Frank Castello told students via a campus wide email Thursday. “We want your input to make this renovation centered on what students want the most.”
The Beestro, which was formerly known as “The Cafe” opened in October 2021. Its menu, which has items that differs from the Donovan Dining Center, also uses ingredients from both the greenhouse on campus and Gotham Greens. The Beestro’s name plays off of the multiple beehives located throughout campus, which also provides honey used for various items in both Donovan and Beestro. The Beestro has also been home to a number of events since opening, most recently being where 90.7 WXIN’s annual Rock Hunt was held.
Castello told The Anchor this planned renovation is a result of “student feedback in the town hall and the SCG Annual survey over this academic year,” adding, “The administration is always looking for ways to improve the student experience at RIC, and one of these initiatives was to create an additional space for students to hang out.”
A major recreational area will be one of the major changes during this renovation. To create space for this area in The Beestro, the mailboxes currently taking up space will be moved. A location being floated for the mailboxes to be moved to is Thorp Hall.
Students at RIC can give their input through a survey linked in Thursday’s email, which can be found here. Questions in the survey include what students would like The Beestro to be renamed to, entertainment options for the recreational area such as video game consoles and an air hockey table as well as the chance for any additional ideas to be submitted.
SCG’s efforts for this renovation are also being done in collaboration with Darcy Dubois, RIC’s interim dean of students.
“Students being vocal at opportunities like the town hall and the SCG survey are what helps to drive change,” Dubois said. “I'm excited we're going to be able to make this happen for those students.”
Castello shares similar enthusiasm about this project, saying, “Having seen some of the proposed plans for the Beestro, I'm truly excited to see the completed renovation when we return to campus next semester. This is something to look forward to over the summer.”