Having long lines at coffee shops on campus during the morning hours is a certainty at College of DuPage (COD). Unfortunately, for years, students with early morning classes in the Technical Education Center (TEC) and the Robert J. Miller Homeland Security Education Center had to make long walks to either Starbucks or the Cafeteria for coffee.

This is now a thing of the past.

Jazzman’s café opened for business at the start of the spring semester. Located on the first floor of the TEC, the café is redefining coffee with its unique choices: Deep thought, hint of dark chocolate; Happy Medium, hint of nuttiness; and Seattle’s best coffee. Jazzman’s café also features specialty espresso drinks, pastries and sweets, as well as yogurt, fruit, soda, chips, grab-and-go sandwiches and salads.

“It’s always nice to have some freshly brewed coffee,” said Joanne Pikul, a student who patronized the café for the first time. “I’m definitely going to get coffee from them; it looks like they have some good food, too.”

For their grab-and-go food, the café goes beyond their available menu items and prepares a special fruit mix.

“We had a customer request for apples in oranges, and the next day he came, he had what he requested,” said Michelle Simms, a co-manager at Jazzman’s café. “We are here for the staff, teachers, students.”

Having a café on the west end of campus has been in the pipeline for over nine years. Trustees gave a green light for the construction of the café when they approved a contract for equipment at the May 18, 2017, board of trustees meeting. The sole intent of the café is to provide convenient access for west campus occupants due to class schedules and inclement weather.

The board on Sept. 21, 2017, also voted to approve a $75,032.00 contract with Integral Construction, Inc. for infrastructure and area renovations.

Jazzman’s café is open for business from 7:30 am to 3:00 pm Monday – Thursday. The café closes at 2:00 pm on Fridays.