On Jan. 22, the CBNU branch of Mega MGC Coffee, one of Korea’s leading low-cost coffee franchises, opened on the first floor of the Chungbuk Pro Maker Center (S1-7). It replaced the former COOBNU 3rd branch.

  Shin Jin-woo (Dept. of English Language and Literature, 22), a student who often drinks coffee, expressed his excitement. He said, “It is good to have Starbucks on campus, but it can feel a bit expensive to buy every day. Having a low-cost option with large-sized coffee brand has reduced my financial burden.”

  Although Starbucks opened on campus last year, students who drink coffee every day continued to look for a more affordable option. Because of this, the Student Council and students continuously requested that a low-cost coffee franchise be brought to campus.

  Cho Soo-won (Professor, Dept. of Plant Medicine), the head of the CBNU Consumer Cooperative (COOP), stated, “While the COOBNU business performance was not unfavorable, we decided to bring in an outside low-cost coffee brand to offer students what they prefer and provide more variety.” The COOP explained that they conducted a Low-Cost Coffee Brand Preference Survey among students. The Mega MGC Coffee ranked first with about 49% of the votes, so it was chosen to open on campus.

  Meanwhile, Prof. Cho added, “The COOP uses the profits from coffee shops and convenience stores to cover the financial losses of the student cafeteria and the post office on campus, which are essential for student welfare. The Mega MGC Coffee on campus is directly run by the COOP. The more campus members use it, the more it helps ease pressure to raise cafeteria prices and keep essential facilities like the post office running.” He encouraged campus members to visit the store often.

  The Mega MGC Coffee on campus has the exact same menu and recipes as stores outside the campus. However, it differs in the way the space is designed. Through negotiations with the headquarters, the COOP secured a spacious and pleasant area inside the Chungbuk Pro Maker Center. They arranged plenty of tables and chairs to create a comfortable environment where students can rest between classes.

  As the new semester approaches, expectations are growing about how this new space, created by students’ voices, will bring vitality to the campus.

reverse0423@chungbuk.ac.kr