Latte and Lots More

If the Big Daddy Joe Espresso doesnât pull you in,

surely the MicroJoe Freeze will.

 

Waking up for Clemson students just got a little easier. At least for those within aroma range of the Loggia. The new student-run enterprise Loggia Latte is open and filling the heart of campus with the wonderful smell of fresh-brewed coffee.

Loggia Latte, which opened in November, is a coffee, sweets and gift shop in the Edgar A. Brown University Union. From concept to construction, itâs been a student-powered learning lab for small business development. Mechanical engineering major Steve Lail of Columbia has been involved in the project from its inception. ãWe wanted to provide a nice environment for our fellow students,ä he says, ãa place to meet with friends, get a cup of coffee or a gift, or relax while studying.ä

As head barrista, Steve helped interview and hire a crew of 15 students who make and serve coffees developed especially for Loggia Latte by Clemsonâs food science and human nutrition department.

The daily coffee brew, Stumphouse Mountain blend, is a medium roast of Colombian and Brazilian beans. The Big Daddy Joe Espresso is a dark roast of the Stumphouse Mountain blend base with Java Estate added for texture and body and with a small amount of Vietnamese Robusta to add creaminess and an extra caffeine kick.

Student Beth Roberson from Little Rock, Ark., is heading up the coffee-roasting venture called MicroJoe. ãAs a food technology major,ä she says, ãIâm gaining experience in production management and quality assurance without having to leave campus.ä

Students who run the MicroCreamery, producing Clemsonâs famous ice cream, have also gotten into the act. Theyâve developed a new coffee beverage called the MicroJoe Freeze, a blend of Big Daddy Joe Espresso and Clemson ice cream.

The students behind the coffee bar also concoct lattes, cappuccinos, chai lattes, hot chocolates and a variety of other specialty beverages. Pastries, juices, sodas and sweets from Ghiradelli bars to BB Bats are available.

Those needing a quick and special gift can purchase prepackaged gift baskets or create their own. Balloons add the finishing touch.

Loggia Latte is supervised by staff in the University Union and Student Center. It will continue to incorporate learning opportunities for students. For example, other academic departments and student organizations may use the shop as an outlet for student-produced work from greeting cards to pottery.

Loggia Latte is open Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to midnight, with varying weekend hours.

For more information, call 864-656-1JOE.

Sweet taste of success

Robust coffee and luscious ice cream donât just happen ÷ thereâs a science to it. At Clemson, itâs called ãFood Science.ä And students have all the fun.

Entrepreneurial students from the Universityâs food science and human nutrition department launched the Clemson MicroCreamery in 2001 to bring back traditional Clemson ice cream. They revived classic flavors such as lemon custard and orange pineapple, while coming up with their own concoctions of caramel cookie dough and others.

Ice cream from the MicroCreamery is sold at the Hendrix Student Center, Canteen and Seasons by the Lake. Plans are to construct a creamery facility and farmers market in which visitors can learn how ice cream is made and food science is taught at Clemson.

Last fall, food science students launched a coffee roasting company called MicroJoe, a division of the MicroCreamery, to supply coffee for the new student run Loggia Latte coffee and gift shop.

ãThe MicroCreamery and MicroJoe both have a strong academic atmosphere in which our students learn to work together to solve real problems and get training in the food science area,ä says Johnny McGregor, department chair. ãThe experience they gain leads to outstanding employment opportunities.ä

In fact, the current food industry is the largest manufacturing industry in the nation. Students completing the food science technology option pursue careers as food safety microbiologist, new food product developers and food business managers. The average starting salary for graduates with a bachelorâs food science degree is $45,000 and job placement is better than 95 percent.

The human nutrition option gives students the foundation to become registered dietitians. Clemson boasts a 100 percent success rate of studentsâ passing the national licensure exam to become registered dieticians.

For more information about Clemsonâs food science and human nutrition department or about MicroJoe or the MicroCreamery, contact McGregor at 864-656-3397 or visit the Web at www.clemson.edu/foodscience.